The Story
by Lion warrior
Summary: Sucked into a completely different dimension by a portal ripping jerk, I, Fanfic writer Lion Warrior, am stuck in Po's world! The only two ways out are to write my way out or find a way to get Po and Tigress together. Make matters worse, my past stories are coming true. Why does this happen to me! PoTi-and for my sake, hopefully.
1. Chapter 1

The Story

 **Don't own KFP**

* * *

I told Tigress I would be finished with the book after I got back home, but with everything happening it was hard to get back to normalcy. With the marriage, explaining everything to Krystal, finishing up my schooling and education, and finishing the book was very interesting. However, Krystal has helped me in finishing and editing the book. Knowing me I use to not take criticism well, but ever since...well everything, I've changed a lot. I looked over the laptop on my desk. I printed the last chapter of the book and stacked it after the latest one. Krystal came into my office and had a smile on her face as she looked at the first title page. "What do you think about it," I asked her. She chuckled a bit.

"Give me a little time to read it first," She replied.

"Sorry, I'm not used to this much excitement as of late, and then the whole shifting and stuff. And...I'm just wondering if you like it," I said. She rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Why don't you read it to me," She said giving the stack back. I leaned back in my chair as she tried to rest in my lap. Since we nearly fell off, we decided it would be best to read on the bed. She looked at the title and looked at me strangely.

"I'm still working on the title," I replied.

"Yes, but 'The Story on Which I Was Transported to Another World'? You're this great fan fiction writer and you come up with a title like this? You know you could do better than that. I was expecting something like...I don't know, 'The Story'. Maybe that."

"'The Story', I like that. Simple, easy, and provides some curiosity into it," I said thoughtfully. Krystal smiled. We sat down and started to read it.

* * *

I am a human. I want to clean that up so there is no confusion. Being around 19 years of age, life was a little challenging for me, like everyone. There is one thing that makes me different. I don't like being human, but who doesn't. What really makes me unique is that I don't understand human interactions and society. For example, why humans demand privacy yet post and broadcast everything private to everyone and their enemy to see. Also, why people get offended when you're truthful, both men and women. So you see, I'm an awkward person. Being of black skin in the United States of America, I'm not like most people. I have a laughable personality and I talk a lot, which is weird because I'm a kind of introvert though I can speak in front of people just fine. However, with LIFE becoming more hectic as I mature, I've become more introverted, self-conscious, and aware of the time I'm alone.

Like I said, I'm wired weirdly. I'm 6'1", and considered a giant where I live. Name? For the sake of security, my name is John. (Nowhere close to my actual name) I will say that I've never actually liked my name. It's supposed to mean something very special and, well, I don't really see myself as special. Because I have a melancholy attitude, I have a high standard of myself. It helps sometimes, but other times, especially when I make epic fails, it's kind of a hindrance. It's an awkward world for some and others they take to it very well.

I guess it would be better to explain the reason and purpose for this whole story. You see, I was visiting this bookshop for a new book. I was by myself for I told my dad and mom I would be here; I was old enough to drive. Now I know going to Barnes and Nobles is nothing out of the ordinary, but there was this old elderly Chinese woman with a stand for one of my favorite cartoon movies: Kung Fu Panda. I chuckled a bit. I found it ironic that a Chinese woman was selling an American anthropomorphic version of China. I looked at the woman with a smile. She had a mysterious smile on her face. If you've ever had an eerie feeling that you should talk or do something, you know the feeling I was feeling. "Excuse me," I asked her, "how much is the book?"

"I have no book," She said in a thick accent and broken English, "Sold out." That was a little strange to me. I knew she was lying the books were right in front of me. But then she said, "Have book in back for you." I pointed to myself.

"Me," I asked.

"Yes, have special book for you. No charge," she said. I bit down a laugh. It was funny how she said 'no charge'. I shrugged.

"Okay," I replied. I followed to the back of the store where all the classical and old books were. She pulled, what seemed to me, an old Chinese book. I could tell by the way the seam was; it was on the right. She first looked around and gave it to me.

"Read," She practically commanded

"O...kay," I replied slowly opening up the book. In hindsight, it's not always safe to do what others say. That seemingly harmless book opened up into a swirling vortex that sucked me in. I was falling down, or up, I don't know how or where I was falling, but I know I was screaming at the top of my lungs. "AAHHH!" It felt like I was falling slowly but at the same time fast, like when you fall in a dream. Anyways, I remember falling and then slowly stopping in a completely black void. I stood up though I don't know on what. Everything was pitch black, except me. It was as if I were in a painted black room with light coming in somehow. "Okay, where the freak am I?"

"Good question," Said a cheeky voice. I looked around me to see another person in the void. He was very tan, short about 5'7". He had slick shiny black hair, black eyes, and furrowy eyebrows. "And what are you doing here is a better question." He talked fast, but I could tell by his demeanor that he was mischievous and perhaps evil. He stroked his chin, though he had no beard, and he had a plain white shirt, black slacks, and a brown strap around his chest that held a big sword on his back.

"Who are you," I asked.

"Me? I'm the one responsible for the start of your journey," he said with a smile. I looked at him suspiciously.

"Who are you," I reiterated. He seemed to brush me off.

"Don't be worried about me. I'm just making sure that you get to your destination safely. You're assignment's in your book. Oh, and you can't get back to your world until you complete the assignment." He said as he gave me a decoratively designed book. He took his sword out, cut the black void, and made a colorful vortex that looked a lot like the one that sucked me in here in the first place.

"You still haven't told me who you are," I said. He smiled wickedly at me.

"Aw, come on. You should know you're old friend Demi." My eyes widened as he pushed me through the portal. I fell again, this time landing hard on my back. It knocked me out for a moment. When I came through, I groaned.

"Demi," I murmured, "That's impossible." Demi was my idea for another fan fiction that I had, but I never published it because I didn't have enough for the actual story. Demi's real name is Dimension Ripper. He's the one that makes sure all the dimensions are kept in order. But he was just some fan fiction idea, how could he be real. Maybe this fan fiction thing had gone too far. I loved writing stories, reading stories, and making up stories. But for one of my ideas, which I didn't even write, to come to life, in reality, was really worrying me. "How in the world is that possible?" I couldn't be concerned with that. Now I had to figure out where the heck the big jerk put me.

It was then I realized the trip here had changed me. I looked at myself and saw big tan foot paws where my feet should be. My pants had turned to black sweatpants it seemed, I was bare-chested, and I felt something poking out from my tail bone. Reaching behind me I found a tail attached to my body. In short, I was a lion. "WHAT THE HECK!" You would be shocked too if something like this happened. I quickly stood up on my two legs. The blood rushed around in my body, making me stumble a bit. I felt around my head. My usually short hair was replaced with a full headed mane. I noticed that I didn't have my glasses anymore. I didn't need them because my eye sight was fixed. I stumbled to a tree and sat back down. "Okay, calm yourself down, man," I told myself. "You're in a strange place, turned into a lion, one of your crazy fan fiction ideas came to life, threw you here, and you have to complete something for him. Not all that bad." I groaned. "Wow, I give myself bad advice. Okay, let's see where I am exactly." I looked around. I seemed that Demi had dropped me near a lake. My new ears picked up some nearby noise. I looked myself over. I seemed decent enough. I went over the hill. I saw a little village in a big green valley. My eyes slowly went to the tall high mountain in the back of the village. The sun nearly blinded my vision, but I could see a familiar silhouette of a majestic red and jade palace. The Jade Palace.

"I. Am. In the village of Po," I said quite calmly. But then fainted. The next time I came through, I could immediately see I was in some kind of shack. "Ugh, what happened," I mumbled as I came through.

"You passed out," Said a voice. I turned my head to see an old goat lady with small glasses on. But her voice was familiar. I propped up on one arm.

"Aren't you that lady I saw at the bookshop?"

"Not important now," She replied with a little old smile. Never trust your grandmas, kids. Treat them right, but always keep an eye on them. "You must do Demi's assignment. Go to Jade Palace."

"How am I going to do that," I asked, "They won't understand me." Then the old lady did something incredible.

"Don't worry about that, darling. Demi fixed that right up," She said in perfect English, "He made it so you'll be able to communicate with the others and you won't have to learn the language though it would be better for you." I was dumbfounded.

"So, you just talked like that to make it believable," I asked.

"Not important," She replied. She gave me the book that Demi gave me. "Keep the book with you and go to the Jade Palace."

"What makes you think they'll allow me up there. I'll just be a common person to them."

"One, they do allow regular people up the mountain at any time. Two, you'll have something that will attract them to you." I looked at the old goat, strangely.

"What," I asked slowly. Then I heard a cry for help. I rushed off the bed and looked through the window. The Boar Brother bandits were stealing from an old lady. Now, I'm no big hero. I like helping people in the background. But this time, I felt this incredible and undeniable urge to stand up to these thugs. I ran outside and faced them. "Hey," I shouted. "You get away from her. Go on your way." I immediately noticed that the bandits were about the same height as me and seemed to be packing more fat mass. The leader boar smirked evilly.

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it," He said. I finally looked behind them to realized that the massive giant Li-dong was sitting in a corner just looking at the fun. I was about to get pounded. I looked at the little goat lady. I might as well try. I got into a fighting stance. I remembered enough of Tak-won-do from my childhood to at least run from these guys alive. They laughed. I breathed and threw my first punch.

My punch apparently sizzled the large pig because he was on the floor crying in pain. I looked at my hand. It was still flaming. I turned back at the old goat lady, who was smiling.

"Welcome to the Valley of Peace, Lion Warrior," She shouted as she disappeared into the shadows. Hearing a growl, I prepared myself for the next guy. I pounded him with a fire fist just like the other one. I prepared myself for the next one a bit more. I dodged his attacks left, right, and center. I spun around, lunged down, and shot a big blast of air at him, forcing him halfway across the village. I watched as the previously sizzled boar got up and tried to punch me. He did, right in the face, but I didn't flinch, move, or even blink. It didn't hurt me. I smiled, planted my stance, and water-bended some water in a nearby barrel. I threw the water at the boar and froze his face as he plopped to the floor. Then I felt a thump. I looked to see Li-dong had gotten up. I got back into my stance.

"Let's see what you can do to me, ya little runt!" I smirked cockily. Probably the first time I've ever done that in situations like these. I planted my right foot down into the ground. I lifted the earth underneath Li-Dong's feet. "What the-"

"What? You wanted to see what I can do. This is what I can do!" I threw him clear out of the village. I looked around one final time to make sure no more surprises would pop out at me.

"Thank you so much, sir," Said the old lady who was previously in trouble.

"It's okay. I was just doing what any able person would do," I replied as the lady went away.

"That. was. AWESOME!" I heard a voice from behind me. "Dude you were totally amazing! You're being all like' Hah! WHA! YAH! And the bad guys were all like 'Mommy! Help me!'" I smiled. There I saw the reason for me being here. I laughed a bit.

"It's good to see you, Po," I said as I bowed. I had studied the culture of China. He was confused.

"I'm sorry. Not that I wouldn't want to know someone as incredible as you, but do I know you?"

"Oh no, you don't. But I've heard much about you," I replied.

"Oh, you have to come with me to the Jade Palace. The others would be so excited to see you," He said excitedly in his childish expression.

"I would like that. Will they all be there?"

"Oh yeah, they'll be there. Come on," Po said, practically dragging me toward the mountain. "By the way, what's your name?" I nervously thought of something.

"Lion. My name is Lion," I answered. Hey, don't judge me. Like I said, I didn't like my name. I know it's a bit cliche that I use the name that I've used almost every story I made, but it was all I had on the fly.

"Lion, nice name," He said, not seeing through my ruse. I sighed as I saw the long step away up the Jade Palace.

"How do I get into these messes?"

 **to be continued.**


	2. The Masters

The Masters

* * *

I'll tell you something about those stairs. There are more than 10,000 of them! There have to be. As I dragged my wearied broken body up the dreaded mountain, I plopped down to the ground at the door. "Wow," Po panted, "You're exhausted too? I thought I was the only one that had problems with it." Po looked like he was thinking. "You know, considering all the things you did down there, you could probably fly up the mountain like a firework." I glared at myself.

"Oh sure, now he thinks about it," I grumbled. That didn't mean I would do it. I wasn't sure what Demi gave me. It was bewildering enough that I had the Lion Warrior powers from _Life of Po_. What else that I wrote could come true? "Oi," I muttered.

"Anyways, we're here," Po said, presenting the big gates of the Jade Palace. I slowly stood up. The air was thin up here, but I didn't really notice it. Probably another power that I got. I looked around for the book Demi gave me. It was in my pocket, but the thing seemed to magically come out of my pocket.

Anyways, Po opened the doors of the Jade Palace. The courtyard was pretty much empty, except for some training equipment. We went to the Training Hall. The big massive hall was a lot larger in life than the screens made them. "Pretty nice, huh," Po said proudly.

"Yeah," I said in a hushed tone. Then I saw the masters. Master Shifu suddenly clapped his hands and all the masters came to stand in front of me. Here are some things that you probably won't see in the movies and tv shows. Monkey, not on his tail, comes to about my stomach. Keep in mind that I'm 6'1". Mantis is a lot smaller than you think, but still big enough for me not to step on him. Crane is about my height, maybe a bit shorter. Viper, at her tallest, comes to my waist. Tigress is taller than me by a full inch. Here's a difference, however. Tigress is actually 3 quarters shorter than Po, but when I first saw them they seemed to be the same height. Po slumps a lot, making him seem shorter, and Tigress is erect and straight up all the time so she seems a lot taller. I only figured this out later when I got to know them. I nervously bowed in front of the masters.

"Po, who is this," Shifu said kindly, which was weird to me seeing him so at ease. With Po, he's usually uptight.

"This is Lion. He does some crazy stuff and can shoot out fire from his eyes," Po replied excitedly. I looked at him.

"What? No, I just shot fire from my hands," I corrected.

"Okay, so I exaggerated, but he's really awesome!" I played with my fingers nervously.

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"He can even command water!" The Furious Five laughed, save Tigress who just pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "It's true!"

"Is this true," Shifu asked me, looking me straight in the eye. For a person that can only reach to my waist, he can make a guy feel two inches tall. I stuttered a bit.

"I...I honestly don't know what I'm doing here. I know that I did use something that defeated the Boar Bandits and Li-dong." Everyone gasped. "It's not that hard really. You just move the ground underneath him and away he goes." I tend to talk with my hands so my arms and hands were demonstrating everything. Shifu stroked his beard. I was nervous and excited all in the same basket. Then Shifu said,

"Okay, then why don't you show us your skills with the Training Hall."

"Oh dear," I murmured. I stood at the starting line of the Training Hall, with the rolling barrels and the swinging clubs. I breathed. I hoped that I didn't break my skull.

What happened next, I'm not sure about so I'll take the position of what Po and the others said I did. I jumped in the arena, stumbled around the barrels a bit. As the clubs came, I jumped and kicked the clubs clear out of the arena. I jumped up and swung through the hanging holes that Monkey usually plays around. Then I landed into the Jade balancing bowl. I tipped the bowl on its side and jumped on top, keeping it in balance. I jumped out and right into the forest of wooden soldiers. This I remember. The soldiers seemed to swing so slow, and I moved out of the way of each of them. I kicked and punched them back. They didn't hurt me really. I went over into the fire pit. I heard the fire from the ground. I dodged the first three, jumped and forced the fire out of the pit. I was flying in the air in a ball of fire. I came down on the other side and swept away all the fire. I looked at the others with their eyes wide and jaws down. "How did I do," I asked as I came to them using the sideway.

"Wow," Po said in hushed amazement. I rolled my eyes.

"A little more detail on how I did, please," I asked.

"That was completely and totally amazing! You were all like-"

"Never mind," I quickly stopped him, fearing a long description. Shifu approached me.

"Well, I will say this. You do have some power that is absolutely remarkable," He complimented. I chuckled.

"But I have no idea what I'm doing here," I replied, flailing my arms around.

"You make it sound like you came from another world and you were just dropped here from an unknown source," Master Viper said. I fell to my knees and spoke in a dramatic way, pointing at her.

"Yes! That is exactly what is happening here!" The masters looked at me strangely as I got back up. "One thing you'll learn about me is that I'm very...dramatic."

"So you're a drama queen," Monkey joked.

"No, no, no. I am drama KING! There are many drama queens, but I am king of them all," I declared proudly, making them laugh, again save Tigress, who just lightly smirked.

"Well, it's good to see you have a safe amount of humor," Crane said. "Where are you from?"

"Africa." It wasn't a total lie when you consider genetics.

"That's a long way," Tigress said, seeming surprised.

"I've been further," I replied. It seemed that she became interested in me, for then she asked.

"I have you ever been to Japan," She asked.

"I've never been there, but I know what it's like. I've studied many cultures," I replied. Her eyes grew though I could see a line of mistrust in them. That was weird because I usually don't pick up social cues and hidden meanings that well. Anyways, she continued to ask me questions.

"Where did you learn to do all of those things?" I nervously chuckled a bit.

"I really don't know. I guess I was given this type of power," I replied. I could see her disappointment. "But I think there are some things I can teach yo...other people." Her face seemed to brighten up. Then Po asked some questions.

"Oooh, so can you fly? Can you break the spine of a person just by looking at them? Can you control people with your mind? Do you change color? Do you-"

"I have no idea," I said stopping his rant. "I'm learning my powers each day." _Starting now,_ I thought to myself. Then I became nervous again as I asked, "I was actually wondering if I could stay here for a while. I'm sure I can learn some things from the famous Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior." You could practically see Po's pride bubbling out. Shifu sighed at his student's cocky face.

"Of course, you can stay here. However, you'll have to help around with the palace," He conditioned.

"Okay," I replied. I had seen what they did for chores. It wasn't that hard, except for Po.

"Good, I'll lead you to your room," Shifu said as I followed him to the barracks, leaving the others there. "I'm intrigued to know as to why you've come here, Mr...Lion, was it?" I nodded, but what do I tell him. I didn't know what I was doing here. The book was the only clue I had, but I hadn't read it yet.

"I honestly don't know. Like I said, I was thrown into this world without any idea of whatsoever about what I should do," I replied.

"Well, while you figure that out, you are more than welcomed to stay here for as long as you like," Shifu said kindly. I bowed.

"Thank you," I said as we came to the room.

"You'll be staying here. If you need a blanket it's in the wardrobe to the right," Shifu explained. He then left me. The room was a standard size for one person, the bed wasn't too short like my other one, and like Shifu said there was a red and green painted wardrobe in the far left corner. I opened the silk panel window. I had a beautiful view of the adjacent mountain that I assumed went up to where Oogway learned Kung Fu. I closed the window and the door and plopped on the bed. I pinched myself to see if it was all just another dream, but the pain of sitting on my tail was proving me wrong. I moved to get more comfortable.

"What am I doing here," I asked myself. Then I remembered the book Demi gave me. I looked to the front page. The first lines were in English, but they were hard for me to swallow.

 _To Lion, I'm guessing_

 _There are two ways to get back home. One is to fill this book entirely of your experience here. The other and the major reason I brought you here is to get Tigress and Po together like the many fanfic Kung Fu Panda fans want. You've been tasked with doing just that. Your stories will be brought to life to see if they'll actually bring the two together. Don't worry, you'll be able to communicate and read just like the others. It's like having your mythical Lion Warrior powers in real life. I hope you enjoy!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Dimension Ripper, a.k.a Demi_

 _P.S. You may be getting some help soon ;-)_

Yes, there was a smiley winking face on the book. Just the type of annoying personality Demi has. I groaned loudly. How the heck was I going to get Tigress and Po just to _kiss_ each other. I had seen first-hand what Po and Tigress were like. If you wanted an analogy, Tigress is a furry brick and Po an excitable marshmallow! They couldn't be more opposite. Yes, I and most everyone wanted Po to get Tigress, but when you experience for yourself how they are like, it diminishes greatly. Then there was the other option: writing the book. Comparatively, the book was about the size of a book from the Britannica collection. (I still don't know how it was able to fit in my pocket. Probably magic or Demi's doing.) And it had small lines too, so I couldn't write big and be done with it. It would probably take me two years to fill it to just a quarter of the book. I looked through the book. 1,000 pages. I sighed. It seems I'm stuck here for a while. So I sat down and started writing how I got here. I stopped to meeting the masters. How was I going to do this? On an irrelevant note, what did Demi mean by "Help"?

 **to be continued.**


	3. Learning

Learning

* * *

I woke up from bed to the clanging of the palace gong. It wasn't as loud as you think. It's pretty high up so people don't really hear it. But I did hear the masters all get out of their beds and say, "Good morning, Master." for Shifu. I didn't think they still did that. I could also hear Po fumbling outside the door, saying, "AHHH! Good morning, Master." I rolled my eyes and sighed as Shifu greeted them. I slowly got up and put on the sandals that Demi provided. They weren't like the band shoes that the others here wore. They were traditional old-fashioned sandals. They looked like they came from Israel or Syria. I stretched and kept trying to think what to do for my predicament. Then I remembered something. I hadn't heard Shifu take the masters out. I looked at my door and could see a large group of shadows. I opened the door to see the masters waiting for me.

"Oh, you're up," Mantis spoke from Monkey's shoulder.

"Yes, I am," I replied, wondering why they were standing in front of my door for me. "What is it?" I noticed that Tigress wasn't there. She was probably training.

"Well, we were wondering if you wanted a tour of the village," Viper asked. Then she remembered something. "Oh! I just realized we never introduced ourselves. I'm Viper, this is Monkey, Mantis, and Crane. You've already met Po and the tiger was Tigress. She's out training." Knew it. I bowed again.

"It's nice to meet all of you in person," I said, "I've heard so much about you." _And wrote so much about you,_ I thought to myself.

"Well, we're glad our reputation precedes us," Monkey said proudly. Viper rolled her eyes. I smirked.

"I've also heard about many pranks and jokes around this place. Like what kind of ingredients are needed to make a monkey completely white," I replied smugly. Monkey looked frightened. I just laughed. "But I would love to see the place."

"Good, we'll go when you're ready," Crane said. I brushed myself with hands and a storm of winds blew away any dirt on me. It also gave Po, Crane, and Monkey 'Wind Hair' and blew Mantis from his perch.

"I'm ready," I smiled. So we went to the mountain, but I descended like Po told me by flying. Using my fire bending, I was able to soar down the mountain. Of course, the brakes were a little shaky and I crashed into a bush. "Ow," I mumbled. When the others came down, they showed me different workshops, carts, places, and attractions. They also showed me the noodle shop where I met the eccentric goose, Mr. Ping.

"Oh Po," He said in his Chinese accent, "You brought customers." I patted myself looking for money. Demi obviously wanted me to also live like a beggar asking people for favors! The rotten demon. Luckily, Po offered to pay for the food. We all sat down at a table as we waited for our food to arrive; Po was working in the kitchen.

"So, Lion, do you have any family," Viper asked very politely and kindly.

"Yes, but they live far away." And in a different timezone. "So I'm kinda by myself."

"Oh, so where have you been," Viper asked. Wasn't this the same question Tigress asked me? Anyways, I said,

"I've been to many places within my country. This is one of the few times I've been outside the country."

"What is it like in Africa," Crane asked. This is where my geographic study of the African continent came in handy.

"Well, Africa is an entire continent. I come from Ethiopia, around the sea. It has lush vegetation and there a lot of different kinds of people and species. It's very hot for starters. The climate is sometimes dry or moist, but since I'm near the sea, it's pretty steady. Beautiful sunsets every day."

"Wow, it sounds very interesting," Po marveled as he came with the food. "So how do you do all those crazy things you do?" I chuckled lightly as I made a little ball of wind.

"I don't know. I guess I was just given this. Kinda like how you have certain gifts, Po," I said.

"Yeah, Po does have a way of surprising us," Monkey added.

"Even if it means him getting into trouble," Mantis butted in. Everyone chuckled.

"Hey," Po protested. I laughed.

"Well, I'm going to go back up the mountain. Thank you for showing me around."

"Are you sure you want to go back up so soon? There are still some other places we could visit," Viper offered.

"No, I'm okay. I'm going to try and get whatever chores Master Shifu has for me done," I said. "See you." And I flew up and off to the mountain. As I got there, I slowly tried to descend in the courtyard. Didn't go well. Because I didn't land like I should with hands as well as feet out, I landed face first. "Ow! How do birds do it?!" I muttered. I got up and went to Master Shifu, who was in the Hall of Heroes. Another thing to note. The jade floor is very slippery. "Whoa!" I slipped right on my back. As I rubbed the pain away, I saw Master Shifu standing over me.

"Not very graceful, are you," He said, having observed everything. I chuckled embarrassedly. "What are you looking for, young warrior?" I quickly got up.

"Oh, I was wondering what kind of 'chores' you had for me." Shifu's ears perked up.

"Well, the Training Hall could use some scrubbing since Po didn't do it last time," Shifu said, very irritated. I bowed.

"Just show me where the broom is and I'll get to it," I said. So Shifu gave me the broom and sent me to the Training Hall. To my surprise, Tigress wasn't there training like the others said. "Where's Master Tigress," I asked.

"She's probably doing her meditation. She's usually doing her meditation training during this time." He showed me where to clean and what to clean and left. Now, I know that I could speedily do this by some super speed power that I may have, but I wanted to do this with my power just to see how hard it was. It took about thirty minutes to sweep the whole place clean. It wasn't as bad as the panda made it out to be. I just had to put back the wooden soldiers in place. "That's enough, Lion," Master Shifu said stopping me. "It looks a lot cleaner than it's ever been. Thank you."

"Have you been there the entire time," I asked.

"No, I just came from my meditation," Shifu replied. "You can rest now." Then he left. Then it dawned on me. Usually, by this time, I would have been at least a bit tired, but I wasn't. Maybe that's why I was able to do it so fast.

"You really did a fine job," Said a voice from behind. I turned around to see Tigress come into the Training Hall. I grimaced. "What?"

"Usually, when you come in here, you train so hard that the place gets messy again," I replied.

"That's not true," Tigress said quite defensively. I never felt threatened by Tigress's aggressiveness while I was here. I guess when you've written somebody so many different ways, you just know them. I just looked at her with a doubtful smirk. "It's not that substantial anyway."

"Have you tried to clean it," I asked.

"Not real-...I didn't come here to be interrogated," She said irritated. I laughed.

"Anyways, it's good to see you. I haven't seen you for the whole day."

"I was training."

"That I know," I replied.

"Actually, I came in here wondering if you could teach me some things," She said. "You must have at least something I can learn from you." I thought about it for a while.

"I do," I answered, "But you're not going to like it very much. It will take you out of your comfort zone a lot."

"I'm willing to do anything to make myself stronger," She replied dignified. I shook my head.

"It's not just that. This is not so much physical torture. This is social torture." I could tell she was confused. "In many battles, you must learn how to sense things. You already know how to hear things very well, but there are ways you can figure out what a person is thinking just by looking at them."

"Are you...trying to get me to be more social," She asked.

"It would help, but I'm taking baby steps here."

"I don't need social graces. Relationships and interactions are just distractions," She said pompously. I sighed. _This is going to take a while,_ I thought.

"Like I said, that's not my main focus." I thought for a while in silent. "Tell you what. When I get more situated around here, I'll figure out what I can teach you." Then something hit me. "Hmmm."

"What?"

"Nothing, Po's coming." I saw Tigress's irritated sigh as the happy cheerful panda came in.

"Hey, Lion! There are these bandits that we found that you could practice on. Please show us some of you awesome skills," He begged. I smiled.

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."

"AWESOME!" He shouted as he ran back.

"Ah, 'Let the children come to me and deny them not, for such is the key to the kingdom'" I quoted.

"What," Tigress asked.

"Nothing, rambling."

"How did you know Po was coming? I didn't hear him." I was a little concerned about that too. It was the sensing technique that came with the Lion Warrior powers.

"I can just sense people, I guess. There's a lot about me that is very interesting," I said more to myself than to her. Then I saw her famous small smile.

"Well, I look forward to training with you Master Lion," She said about to bow, but I stopped her.

"Just Lion. Don't call me master. I don't like having the title."

"As you wish," She bowed. Then I went off to follow Po.

This was going to be very very difficult. How was I going to get Tigress and Po together? I had a plan in mind. I would try my best to get Tigress more social and in turn, I would try to get Po to act a tad grown up, or just be a little more responsible. Not the best plan per se but it was better than anything I could come up with right now. I would have to get a lot closer to Tigress to understand her, and so would Po. It was going to take a while, so I didn't think much about revising my plan. That's mainly why I was going to teach Tigress. I was simply going to teach her the other Kung Fu styles, like Viper, Crane, and Eagle. You can learn a lot from old Kung Fu movies. Her being able to switch between styles would make her very versatile and flexible. The plan would also get Po to do more stuff. I like the panda, but he does have some minor annoyances. Once Po showed some fun and responsibility, my plan could work.

There were two things that were bothering me. One, if one part of my fanfic came true, what others would? There are some fan fictions I would be devastated if they came true. And what was to say that it was only limited to mine? Then there was the other thing. What did Demi mean by "Help?"

 **to be continued.**


	4. The Help

The Help

* * *

I figured out exactly what Demi meant by "Help". And to say the least, I wasn't prepared for it. Three days since my arrival here, I was already teaching Tigress my fighting techniques. It mostly consisted of Earth style fighting. It's a very stable, highly defensive, but slow moving technique. I did this one first because Tigress is more of a fire type so it is a complementary element. We were training in the hall when Zeng came in. "Master Lion, Master Tigress, Master Shifu needs you in the Hall of Heroes." So we went into the Hall of Heroes to see the others in a line. Standing in front of them were two people. One was a short fox lady that was about Shifu's height. I thought it was his ex-con-girlfriend, but on closer inspection I figured out it wasn't. Then there was another person, a young female tiger. She was shorter than Tigress and shorter than me. She looked about 5'7". She was in a lovely red dress. Her arms seemed a bit smaller than Tigress's and her head a bit smaller than hers. Also, her eyes were black. Her orange colors were a lot richer than Tigress's. I think that just came from variation in different cats. Now, because I am a guy, though I'm ashamed to say that I noticed this the first time I saw her, I did note that she had a bigger chest area than Tigress. I brushed the perverted thought out of my head. I also saw that the tiger seemed very shy. She must be scared to come here. I thought she was probably going to be staying here to train with us.

"Hello," Master Shifu said, "It's been a long time since I've seen you." The fox smiled.

"It's been awhile Shifu," She replied.

"Master Shifu," Viper spoke up, "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend here?"

"Oh of course. Students, this is my old friend from long ago. She and I use to train together under Master Oogway. Her name is Jun," Master Shifu explained. "However, I am curious of why you are here?" I saw the tiger wince a bit.

"Well, that is on account of who has sent me here," Jun said.

"Who sent you," Shifu asked.

"His friend," She said pointing to me. Everyone turned their heads and I was the show monkey.

"Me," I stuttered, "Who sent you to me?" I didn't know anyone here.

"Your friend Demi."

"Oh no," I muttered, "Why did he send you?" The fox smiled.

"To give you your help," She replied. For a split moment, I felt relieved. But then she said, "You are to marry my daughter, Krystal."

"What!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Waitwhoawaitwhoawaitwhoawaitwhoa WHAT!?" I exclaimed like a broken record.

"Demi told me to give you my daughter as your wife and helpmate. You will accept, won't you," She said in a demeanor that would rival Tigress's death glare.

"Yes," I said sheepishly. Now before you judge me on what I just said, hear me out. In certain cultures, most of them in the Old World, if the man rejects, sometimes the family members of the daughter can do unspeakable things to you. So I was scared that I would lose my life over this. What about my Lion powers? I didn't want to kill or hurt anyone, so I was bounded by society. It would only be until after I returned home that Jun would tell me that I had a choice. Everyone, except me and the female tiger, was excited.

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife," Shifu said.

"Wait, don't you need a ceremony or something," I asked. I was really hoping I would get some more time.

"Not always. Under certain circumstances, the parents just have to announce a wedding to some high official and they are married." _Then why the heck did Po nearly get married to that goat girl, Lu-shi, and then didn't! He had some time!_ I thought to myself. "Now don't worry, we'll have your house built near the palace so you don't have to be cram in your room. That and we do want to give you some (ahem) needed space." I glared at Monkey, Mantis, and Po who were snickering. I shifted the ground underneath them to make them stumble and shut up. Of course, Shifu looked sternly at me, but I think he knew they deserved it. Jun brought the girl in front of me. I looked shyly and nervously at her. I could sense her shaking.

"Now, I'll leave you two in private," Jun said. Then she hugged her daughter, saying something to the effect of, "It's alright. I know he's a good person. Don't worry." I had special hearing after all. Then she left.

"I trust that you will help Mrs. Krystal get comfortable here Lion," Master Shifu more commanded than implied. I led her to my room with the angriest look on my face. Once we reached the room, I muttered.

"I'm...going...to kill...Demi." I struggled to keep my temper down. Then I remembered the person in the room. I could see fear and nervousness in her. I was so selfish! Here I am thinking about my situation and there is someone who's been thrown into the fire with no say or direction in it and is probably shaking in their shoes. I smiled kindly at her as I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Look, you don't have to worry or be afraid. I won't do anything that you don't want to do. I know this can be very...difficult for a lot of people." She stayed silent for a while. "We'll just try to get to know each other. What did you say you're name was?"

"K-Krystal," She said softly. I sighed and gently took her hand her.

"You don't have to be scared. Why don't we just try to get to know each other, okay?" She just nodded. "So, you're Jun's daughter?" She nodded. "How did she find you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, quite frankly you're not a fox so I was just going on a limb here," I joked. She lightly chuckled. "So how did she find you?"

"She told me...that I was given to her from my parents because there was a disease in my region and they didn't want me catching it. They planned to come back, but they didn't make it," She replied sadly.

"I'm so sorry that happened," I said empathically.

"So, mom-I mean, Master Jun took me in and showed me all I needed to know in Kung Fu. But I never thought that I would," she fell silent.

"You didn't think you would have to give up your freedom to get married to a complete stranger," I guessed. She looked ashamed. "I know it's hard to deal with and quite frankly ridiculous. I didn't think Demi would do something like this."

"Who is this 'Demi'? I've never seen him in person," Krystal said. I could understand that. Demi did have the power to appear to anyone he liked. But I was a little...sarcastic about describing him.

"He's more of...person that you wish you wish away from you, but he gets more annoying every time you see him. He's also some kind of powerful magical person," I replied.

"So...what am I suppose to help you with," She asked a little scared to know.

"Well, there's a spot on my back I just can't scratch would you mind getting it for me," I asked turning around. She looked at me strangely as I smiled. "No, that's not it. There is something I want some help with, but I think we need to get to know each other before I tell you." Hey, it was a valid concern! I needed to be able to trust her if I was going to tell her my purpose here.

"Fair enough," She said. "So, what about you?"

"Me?"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Lion," I said. Then I thought about it. "Actually, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone." She nodded. "My real name isn't Lion, but I've used the name Lion because I don't like my other name and I've only been here recently. Just like you, I was dumped here and I don't know what to do."

"So, what is your name," She asked. I smirked.

"That is for me to know and you to figure out," I smiled. Krystal seemed to pout a bit, but that maybe just me interrupting something wrong. Then she became nervous again.

"So...I'll be sleeping...with you then," She asked looking at the bed. I don't know if black people or lion people blush, but if they did, I certainly knew what it felt like.

"No, no, no, no! Um...I'll sleep on the floor and you'll sleep on the bed. When Shifu finishes the house, I'll make sure that he adds a separate 'guest' room." She smiled very cutely at me.

"Thank you, Master Lion," she said.

"Please just call me Lion. And...you're welcome," I smiled. Then the awkward silence came. "I'll...go and see how the others are doing. Why don't you get yourself comfortable?"

"Sure," She replied as I left her and went to the kitchen. She seemed nice. I have no idea what she's like when she's not nervous, so I couldn't tell what she's really like. From what I could tell, she seemed to be like the happy, excited, optimistic type. I could see Po and her getting along well. Actually, I can see Po getting along with anyone. I walked to the kitchen to see Po and the Furious Five sitting there and eating lunch. I passed them to get to the plates in the pantry. I could feel their smug smirks looking at me. I turned around to see Po and Viper with an excited smile and Monkey, Mantis, and Crane with a smug smile. Tigress just kept quiet.

"Okay, let me try and pull a Tigress," I said calmly putting the plates down for a moment. "You guys mention any of this in any teasing, laughing, or any other kind of tone, and I will personally skin all the fur off of you, chop your heads off, tan your furs, and then wear them as a coat. And don't think I can't pull it off, cause I can," I threatened. They all seemed to straighten up. But Po spoke first.

"Nice impression of Tigress," he commented.

"Thanks, I've been practicing," I said.

"I do not act like that," Tigress protested. Po and I looked at her with unbelieving looks. "Okay, but I don't do it like that." I sighed as Po rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, what are you going to do now that she's here," Po asked.

"I have absolutely no idea. Demi, the blinking jerk, set me up with this thing. However, I do know what I'm supposed to do here," I answered.

"What's that," He asked.

"I," I had to be careful about how I phrased this. Then an idea came into my head. "I am to teach Po and Tigress," I said with a smile. Po just dropped his spoon and his mouth dropped out. Then it turned into an open-mouthed smile. He pumped his fist in the air.

"That is AWESOME!"

"Why just Tigress and Po," Viper questioned.

"I honestly don't know. There are only a few things I can teach them, but I do know of other things I can tell you and teach you. For Tigress, what I teach her will probably be okay for her. But for you, Po, they will be hard."

"Why are they hard for me," Po asked, thinking that it was unfair.

"Because you have commitment issues and usually you like learning things the hard way," I said bluntly. Po sat back pouting. "Am I wrong?"

"No," He murmured.

"Don't worry, Tigress will have some difficulty as well. Of course, she is used to that," I smiled. Po enviously looked at a smirking Tigress.

"Yeah sure," Po muttered. Then Krystal shyly came inside.

"Hello...everyone," she said.

"Hello," Everyone said in unison. Krystal stayed silent. Tigress got up from her seat and smiled at her.

"Let me introduce you to everyone. That's Po, the Dragon Warrior."

"Hi," Po said.

"That's Master Viper and Master Crane."

"Hello," Crane said.

"Glad to meet you," Viper said.

"That's Mantis and Monkey," Tigress said in a lower tone.

"Hey," Monkey replied.

"How's it going," Mantis smirked. Viper slapped him up the head.

"And you've already met Lion," Tigress smirked.

"Hehe," I lightly chuckled nervously.

"Why don't I show you around," Tigress offered, kindly. Krystal smiled.

"That would be nice," she said. As they went out, everyone in the kitchen was confused.

"Um...that's weird," Po mumbled out.

"What," I asked not understanding their bewilderment.

"I've never seen Tigress that friendly with a complete stranger," Viper stated. I chuckled.

"Trust me, it's okay. That's just how they are," I laughed.

"How do you know that?" Mantis asked. I knew from books in my other world. Tigers are actually very friendly when they meet each other. Though they are seen tussling with each other, that's just the way they are. They play rough. So it was no surprise to me that Krystal and Tigress get along so well. I smiled.

"I just know," I said confidently.

"So what's my first move that I learn," Po asked excitedly. I yawned.

"Not now. It's been a long day. Why don't we just call it a day," I said rising up from my seat and going out the door, but I stopped. "But Po, the exercises I have for you and Tigress are very...different. You'll be learning more about yourself, not your moves."

"O...kay," said Po slowly. I went out the door leaving the others confused. I decided to visit the Training Hall. There I saw Krystal learning from Tigress about some moves. I smiled.

"I see that you and Tigress are learning together," I said. Krystal looked at me with the biggest smile I've seen her with today. She nodded excitedly.

"I've always wanted to train with Master Tigress! It's like a dream come true," Krystal exclaimed. I smirked at Tigress.

"Looks like you have a fan of yours," I remarked. Tigress just looked away. "But I am glad that you are getting more comfortable here. And Tigress, I'll be alternating between you and Po from day to day. For now, why don't you help out Krystal with her training? I'm going to meditate." I really meant sleep.

I went to my room and made a comfortable place on the floor. Well, this was just a fine howdy-do for me. I was married, pissed off, and got a new roommate all in the same day by the same person. I really was contemplating what I would do when I get my hands on Demi. But for now, I wrote in the journal again. If I wasn't so focused on the book, I would have noticed the time going away. I also would have noticed Krystal in the room.

"What are you writing," She asked curiously. I jumped out of my seat.

"AHHahaha!" I yelled. I calmed myself down when I realized who it was. Krystal couldn't help but giggle. I was glad that she was a little less shy.

"Sorry, I scared you."

"Nah, that's okay," I replied. "Um...here's a weird question? How old are you?" She immediately seemed offended.

"Hasn't your mother ever taught you manners? You should never ask a woman her age."

"Yes, because she'll lie about it and give you fake ones," I answered with a smirk. She seemed to pout. "Are you at least around my age?"

"How old are you," she asked still a little upset.

"19."

"Really?" I narrowed my eyes are her.

"How old did you think I was?" She seemed a bit nervous.

"Um...40?"

"Glory! Do I look that old?" I exclaimed while looking into a mirror. She laughed.

"No, no, I was just joking," She said resting her hand on my shoulder. "I thought you were about 23."

"Still a little older than I wish," I murmured. "Sorry about that last comment. I don't really get out much, so there are certain...social cues I don't get." I didn't have a disorder or anything. Social trends just weren't on my top five.

"I guess it's okay," She replied. "So what about the book?"

"Oh, that's...that's just recording my life here. It's...kinda like a private journal," I said as she was about to grab it. I swiped it out of her hands. "Emphasis on the 'private'." She huffed in annoyance. "But seriously. It's a personal thing."

"So Demi has told you what to do? And I'm to help Po and Tigress with their training?"

"I guess. This is all new to me," I yawned. "Well, I'm going to 'meditate'. Good night." I said sleeping on the floor.

"Good night," she replied.

 **to be continued.**


	5. Changing Things

Changing Things

* * *

I was up, and I had to teach Po first. I had come up with the perfect training idea. I waited in the Training Hall for Po. I was a little impatient for him to get here. Then Po burst through the doors.

"I'm (pant) here," He said tiredly.

"Aw, you shouldn't be tired Po," I teased, "You're going to have to be tired about soon enough." I paused for a moment. "That sounded a lot cooler in my head."

"So what am I going to learn first," He asked excitedly. "Fight armies with fire? Command water with my mind? Be able to sense a snail with my-"

"No," I said plainly. "You are going to be doing something simple." I pulled out a handful of feathers. Don't ask where I got them from. Let's just say Crane is molting. Anyways, I put the heap of feathers down, tied Po's hands behind him, drew a circle on the floor, and explained my exercise. "You will have to blow all these feathers into the circle. The more you are able to collect, the less you'll have to do laps up and down the Jade Palace steps."

"WHAT?!"

"Hey, it's better than what I was going to do. I was going to see if you can survive MY Training Hall," I said in a crazed daze with throwing stars in my hands.

"No no, I'll stick to the feathers."

"Good," I smiled. "I have Master Shifu watching you, so don't try and do something to cheat."

"What? Why would I do that," Po said trying to act innocent.

"I know you, Po," I looked at him directly. "I know you very well."

"Well, where's Master Shifu then?"

"I told him to stay hidden and throw a throwing star to make sure that you don't slack up."

"Come on, Master Shifu wouldn't do that," Po laughed nervously looking around.

"Are you sure you want to test that? Master Shifu is good at not being seen," I smiled evilly at him. His eyes darted around. "I'll be back by the end of the day."

"So I have to blow all of those feathers in the heap in the circle," Po asked, seeing the feathers were two inches from the circle. "No problem." I blew a force of the wind, spreading the feathers all over the Training Hall. "LION!"

"Have fun," I said teasingly as I went away. I knew Shifu wasn't in the Training Hall. I told him that he would have to stay out of the Training Hall until I was done with Po's training. I also asked that the other masters stay away from the Training Hall to give him space. I stretched. "That will hold him for the rest of the day. Now to see how Tigress is doing." So I went to the courtyard where I saw Master Tigress and Krystal talking outside. "So what are you guys talking about?" Tigress was about to tell me, but Krystal was quicker than her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lion. There are certain things that are secret between people," She said playfully. I sighed. Tigress just sat there in silence watching the show.

"Very funny, Krystal. I just wanted to know what you guys were talking about," I replied.

"We were actually just talking about you. Krystal asked me how you got here. I told her I wasn't entirely sure about it."

"Well, that's something even I'm not entirely sure of," I said more confused than anyone. Then I thought to myself for a while.

"So you don't know how you got here," Krystal asked, not believing me.

"There's a tale to that, but I'm not sure about it," I said absentmindedly. "Tigress, the rules of the Kung Fu council, can they ever be reversed? Not the entire thing but like one law."

"Huh? Yes, but Master Shifu would have to call all the masters to the Jade Palace for that to be done. It would take a lot of time," She replied.

"I'm easy," I commented.

"What are you planning," Krystal asked. I looked around to see if anyone was around. Then I sat down by them and whispered.

"I want to get rid of the rule that says Po would have to step down as Dragon Warrior if he were to get married." Tigress looked a bit shocked. It's hard to tell with her face being emotionless. Krystal, on the other hand, was shocked beyond measure.

"What? Why do they have a rule like that?"

"The thing is that if Po were to marry, then the person he marries would be a target for all kinds of criminals. But I want to propose something."

"What," Tigress asked.

"If the person Po marries is a trained master, then it's okay for Po to marry the person and keep the Dragon Warrior title," I explained. Krystal thought about it, but Tigress sighed.

"I don't think that would work. You would have to prove that the person can defend themselves and get out of trouble, and with Po's record, that would be a lot. It would have to be a person who knows how to get out of the situations Po gets into," she replied.

"Like you," I said.

"What?! No, I wouldn't-"

"I mean someone like you. You know Po better than most, and you've been through troubles with him and have gotten out of them." _W_ _ith Po's help sometimes,_ I thought to myself. "I'm just saying someone like you would probably have to be that person, correct?"

"...yeah," She said hesitantly.

"So I would present that to the council. Easy," I said. Tigress looked at the ground for a while with a frown.

"I don't understand. Why are you so concerned about Po's love life," Krystal questioned.

"I'm just saying. It's a stupid rule to follow. Yes, it has some reasons behind it but still."

"Relationships are just distractions," Tigress said coldly.

"Yeah sure. And relationships with father figures aren't needed," I remarked. She looked at me with genuine surprise. "Like I said, I know a lot that goes on up here." Tigress just looked away.

"I'm in," Krystal said excitedly.

"What," Tigress and I said.

"Come on, no one should have to live with that kind of loneliness, even if it's for their own good," she replied. I looked at Tigress. She sighed.

"I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying it would be near to impossible to do."

"Eh, impossibility is just another word for lazy," I said. "I always wanted to say that in real life. I mean think about it Tigress. Krystal is more in danger than any person Po marries because of me."

"I know," Tigress sighed, "And I know from experience that Po doesn't want to live alone like this. But as a true master, one must learn to detach from earthly pleasures and personal relationships."

"I know, but Po and the Furious Five and any master dedicated to protecting the people CAN NOT do it," I argued.

"Why," Krystal asked.

"Because their primary duty is TO protect the earth and saving the people. Am I wrong?" Tigress thought about it.

"No," She said questioning herself. "That's...completely right. We...we are supposed to protect the people and the earth. I...I never saw it like that." She just sat silent.

"Anyways, I'm going over to where Master Shifu is to present my idea."

"I'll go with you," Krystal offered, getting up from her spot. "Are you coming, Tigress?"

"Huh? No, I'm good," She said in a daze. As Krystal and I walked off, I looked at Krystal looking at me with a scornful look.

"What," I asked.

"What was all that about," Krystal asked. "You made Tigress more confused than I've ever seen her."

"Ever seen her...you've only been here for a day!"

"That doesn't matter. What's up with you," She asked.

"Okay, so, Tigress isn't the most expressive person in the bunch. She's been socially isolated from the people and I intend to make sure she gets out more. I'm taking baby steps here."

"I see," She replied. I thought that was the end of the conversation, but then she said. "Have you ever had a girlfriend before?" I looked all around before looking at her.

"Where did that come from," I asked.

"Well, we were talking about relationships," She replied, innocently. I groaned.

"No. You...you would be my first," I said hesitantly.

"Oh, so that's why you're inexperienced," she said. I made a face at her, but she just smiled a sweet innocent smile. I grumbled lowly.

"Yes," I muttered. She giggled as I looked away a little embarrassed. Usually, I wouldn't know how to feel embarrassed because of my lack of wanting social interaction. Like I said, I'm wired weirdly. "You know, I'm starting to think I liked you better when you were shy," I mumbled. She rested her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she apologized still smiling.

"It's okay. I'm okay things like that. However, I'm more worried for Po's sake than mine," I said.

"You're a good friend," Krystal commented. Again, I felt the blushing effect on me. Fortunately, Master Shifu was in the Hall of Heroes. I told him about my idea and my reasons for it. He thought about it. Krystal and I waited impatiently.

"Yes," He finally said. "I think that's how it should be. Yes...I'll get the masters assembled and we'll work out the proposal in the meanwhile." So we did, but Krystal was a little bored about the whole thing. Then I remembered something.

"PO!" I ran to the Training Hall, where, for some reason unknown to me, Crane, Viper, Tigress, Monkey, and Mantis were waiting at the door. "Why?" was the only question I asked them.

"Well, we were getting bored so we wanted to know when we can go back inside," Crane explained.

"Don't you have other things to do. Let me check," I said as Shifu and Krystal came along with me. I opened the door to see Po huffing on the floor with a stack of feathers in the circle.

"Hey, aren't those my feathers," Crane inquired.

"Shut up," I quickly said. Po's belly was dirty from falling on it so many times I guessed. I untied his hands, helped him up, and dusted the dirt from him. "So Po, did you get all the feathers?" He answered in a breathy way.

"HES!" He wheezed. "Now what was the point of that useless exercise.

"Let's see. Bowl of water, please. Now, take a deep breath." Po did so. "Now, tap my arm when you can't hold your breath any longer." Then I dunked his head in the water.

"But-"

"Shhh," I hushed, "He's concentrating." It was a while before Po tapped my arm.

"Okay so I can hold my breath, so what," He said.

"Master Shifu?"

"Po, you held your breath for a whole five minutes," Shifu said, still shocked. Po was wowed.

"WOW!" He exclaimed. "Okay, then what's so important about having a long breath."

"Yeah, Po's already long-winded," Monkey joked. Po glared at the simian. I patted Po on the shoulder, bringing his attention back. I took a deep breath and breathed out an inferno of flames from my mouth. I breathed again and focused the fire, forcing out a combustible explosion. Of course, everyone was surprised.

"The right breathing technique will help you in a lot of situations. Now, fifty laps up and down the steps. GO!" I commanded shooting fire at his butt.

"YOW! Okay Okay!" Po skidded outside. Tigress smirked at me.

"You were going to have him do that no matter how many feathers he picked up, weren't you?"

"Your point," I asked her. "Anyways, him climbing up and down the mountain should be a snap."

"Why," Viper asked.

"You see, Po's training was bound to get him to trip over and had to use his legs. After doing that over and over, it would build up his legs. Just watch," I said as they went to see Po's laps. I was right. Po had gotten better at climbing the mountain. After he completed the laps, he noted that he wasn't tired. "See, my training for you has greatly improved your stamina." (but please don't do the training exercise at home, though. Po has a cushiony belly to prevent any bad injuries.)

"Wow, you're right," Po realized.

"So, tomorrow is Tigress's turn," I said going to my room. "Your training is done, Po." I went to my room and wrote the day down in the book. Then something hit me. I looked around. I didn't see anything, but I could definitely sense something. I got out of my seat and looked around. Then I realized who I was sensing and smirked. "You can't hide from me, Krystal. I know where you are."

"Aw," she said. I looked up at the ceiling to see her wedged between the support beams. "You ruined the surprise." I shook my head with a smile. Then I was tackled to the ground.

"OFT! Krystal!" I exclaimed. "Get off of me!"

"Why?" She said playfully. I sighed.

"You're really something you know that? You're almost as child-like as Po," I said. She huffed as she straddled me on her knees.

"I am NOT a child," She said, very upset.

"Easy, I didn't mean to touch a nerve, sheesh!" I apologized. "What's wrong with being a kid? That's what I have to do sometimes just to get a smile from people," I said making a weird face. Krystal giggled. "But seriously, why so upset?" Krystal looked down at the ground.

"My mom-I mean, Mistress Jun use to live in a place where a lot of people were old adults. They didn't seem to take well to kids and would often complain to her that I was out of control. But Mistress Jun always told me to be true to myself and not be concerned about what others say, but it still hurts sometimes."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, again. She huffed again and playfully punched me in the shoulder.

"You apologize too many times and for stuff you didn't even do," she said. I chuckled.

"But I am glad that you are friendly. I was afraid I was going to have someone with fragile feelings," I replied. Krystal smiled.

"I'm glad I fulfill your expectations," She said delightfully. Then I realized what position we were in.

"Um...Krystal," I said nervously. She suddenly realized our position. She jumped off and became incredibly shy. I chuckled a bit. "Don't be embarrassed. You were just having fun."

"Yeah," She said, still shy. I decided to go to bed, but then Krystal said, "18."

"What?"

"I'm 18. I never told you my age," Krystal explained.

"Oh, okay. Thank you for...for telling me," I said awkwardly.

"I'm going to be with Tigress," Krystal quickly said.

"Okay, and I'll be here," I said just as quickly. You'll do anything to get rid of an awkward situation. As Krystal went away, I stayed here trying to figure out what I would teach Tigress and what to say to the masters once they got here. "I have a lot of work to do."

 **to be continued.**


	6. What I am here for

Who I Am and What I'm Here For

* * *

I overslept. You would think that big gong would ring, but it didn't. I looked on top of the bed to see if Krystal was there. Yep, sound asleep. I got dressed and headed to the Training Hall, wearily opening the door. There I saw Master Tigress stretching and revved up. I hate the fact she's a morning person. "Well, I am ready," She said, very prepared. I groggily wiped the sleepiness from my eyes.

"No one can truly be ready. One must just be well-prepared for anything," I replied. "This is what we're going to do. I will be teaching you how to stand your ground. You'll be learning an earth style technique like you've been learning. The key is mainly to wait and listen, but you'll be learning to hold your ground."

"That's simple," She said getting into a stance. I shook my head.

"Come with me." So we went outside to the courtyard where I had constructed a big long tunnel, made from rock. It was securely supported into the earth. I presented it to a confused Tigress.

"What is it?"

"That is what I call a wind tunnel," I explained. "It's mainly just a tunnel I created, but it will focus all the wind I blow at you and test your balance and stability. Now, stand on the other side of the tunnel."

"Okay," she said, unsure. The tunnel was about six yards.

"Ready," I asked. She stood her ground. I air-bended a steady breeze and it gradually grew. I could already see she was having trouble. "Come on, Tigress. You can do it!" She replanted her footing and stood through the wind. It was about five minutes before I stopped the wind test. I saw on the other side of the tunnel that Tigress was on her four paws clutching the ground for dear life. "Good grip," I joked. She just growled at me a bit.

"Why," She asked as she got on her hind legs, "did I have to do that?"

"It's good to be able to stand your ground. Plus, it is something that you do use in earth-bending, and you can use this in your Kung Fu."

"How," She asked. I groaned.

"Try and come at me," I said. She tried to punch me with her left fist, but I blocked it. She jumped up and came down with her foot first. I grabbed her foot and threw her behind me. I heard her angry growl. I smirked as she tried to kick me from behind. I simply ducked. When she was in front of me, she tried to do a roundhouse and I ducked. Then she tried to do her famous 'Tiger Fist' where all the power in her goes out into one single two-hand punch. I replanted my footing and when she hit me, I only moved a bit. She, on the other hand, was panting. "It's important to become immovable in the face of adversity. You need to become stable." Tigress simply bowed.

"Yes, Ma-Lion," she corrected herself.

"That lesson applies to some parts of life, Tigress," I added, "You have to take a stance on things. You should be immovable. But never be unattainable."

"What is that suppose to mean," She asked, crossing her arms. I smiled as I walked to the kitchen.

"You'll figure it out. Now I need some food," I said. I saw Tigress roll her eyes. After we got there, the kitchen only had Krystal in it with Po. I was a little surprised. "Where's everyone?"

"Crane, Viper, Mantis, Monkey, and Master Shifu all went to get the masters to assemble. They said they'll be back by the end of the day," Po explained. "Are you two already done with the training?"

"Yes," Tigress said quite proudly.

"What did you have to do," Krystal asked.

"Stand against a windbag," I joked about myself. Only Tigress got the joke and smirked. "Anyways, tomorrow is your turn Po, but I may have to cut our training short because of the meeting." Po groaned.

"Why are we having a boring meeting," He complained. "What is it about now?" I looked at Krystal and Tigress.

"No one has told him," I asked.

"No," Krystal explained, "Everyone left early. That's why the going didn't ring." I sighed. I explained everything to Po. His eyes grew as he came to understand the importance of the meeting.

"You mean, if it's successful, I can get married and still have the Dragon Warrior title?"

"Yep," I affirmed, "That's why I need it." Po's face spoke more of quiet amazement and peace. Tigress noticed this better than me.

"Po, are you alright," she asked.

"It's just...if this is successful, I won't have to live alone," Po said quietly. I rolled my eyes.

"Listen, Po, living alone with this quote, 'awesome life', doesn't mean that you are living it alone. You have the Furious Five, Master Shifu, and others. You'll have friends," I said.

"Yeah, but friends naturally come and go," He said sadly, "One day...you...everyone will leave and do your own things or something...anyways I'm just saying." Krystal and Tigress looked sad. Krystal, of course, looked sadder than Tigress. I groaned.

"Pessimist," I muttered. Po seemed to get a little upset.

"I don't want to live a happy lie," he retorted.

"But you don't," I replied, "You have friends now, you have a family now. So cherish those moments. If I remember correctly, Oogway told you that yesterday was history, tomorrow was a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it's called the present." Po looked at me strangely.

"Oogway and I were alone when he told me that. How in the world did you know that?" Po asked.

"I know many things," I said confidently.

"How," Krystal asked, practically shattering my pride. I stuttered.

"Wha-what do you mean," I asked.

"How do you know," Krystal clarified. I had to come up with something quick.

"I...can...read people's mind sometimes," I lied. Then I heard something.

 _He can,_ I heard Tigress think.

"Yes I can," I said to Tigress. Her eyes widened. "Didn't you say 'He can?'?" I asked. I didn't know that I just read her mind. She just shook her head.

"I was thinking it," she said. I was surprised, but I kept the ruse on.

"Sssseee? I can read minds," I recovered. Then I saw Krystal grow a face of realization and wonder. "Krystal?" She got up from her chair and planted her hands on the table in excitement and awe.

"You're the Lion Warrior," She exclaimed loudly.

"What!" Tigress and Po exclaimed.

"You...you mean that you've heard of the Lion Warrior," I asked, completely surprised. I didn't think that the legend of the Lions was real.

"Who doesn't! They're supposed to be able to raise rivers, move mountains, breathe fire like dragons, make things float, and-"

"Okay, I get it," I said, stopping Po's rant. _So people do know the story,_ I thought to myself. Tigress looked at me.

"You are the Lion Warrior," She asked.

"I...guess I fill the requirements," I said, unsure. "I'm not sure all about the legend." I scratched the back of my head.

"That would explain why you're able to do all those things," Krystal realized. "And why you keep saying you just dropped out into this world. Lion Warriors are supposed to be from different worlds!" My eyes went wide. "Are you from a different world?" I looked at Po, Tigress, and Krystal.

"Yes, I am. But I would like to make sure that only you guys know about this. Like everyone inside of the Jade Palace. This is all new to me as well as you."

"Why," Po asked.

"Because in my other world, I don't have Lion Warrior powers. I'm just a normal person," I said a little sad about it. Krystal got up and sat right next to me, surprising me a bit.

"What is it like on your other world," she asked, excitedly. I thought for a moment.

"It's um...futuristic, I guess, considering the timeline here. In fact, your lives are actually seen and watched by other worlds," I explained.

"You mean there are people beyond our world that are watching us," Po questioned.

"Don't. Do. Anything that you wouldn't want trillions of people watching you see," I stopped him before he could do anything stupid. "But yes, my world is watching your world." I felt like this was going to be a long discussion.

"So that's how you know us," Tigress realized, "You don't know us. You've just been watching us." I could tell she was a little upset.

"Why are you upset," I asked.

"I thought you would have known us by studying us or stalking us like Po does," She said.

"Yeah," Po agreed. "Hey!"

"Well, I have studied you. I've studied all of your styles, your dislikes, and likes. Your personalities and some of your secrets. Of course, I don't know all of them. So I do know you, but you don't know me," I explained.

"Have you ever seen me," Krystal asked. I became a little nervous.

"Um...no. In fact, you're the only person I don't know about. That's why I'm learning more about you," I replied, smiling. "But I never thought I would get to meet you guys in person."

"Wow! The Lion Warrior," Po exclaimed. I thought about it for a while. _Then that means that...It couldn't be_. If the story of the Lion Warriors was true, then that means that the other stories I wrote are also true. But then that means.

"Oh dear," I muttered under my breath.

"What's wrong," Po asked. I remembered where I was.

"Nothing," I replied, "I think my life here just got a lot more interesting. Actually, I would like to make a visit. You guys in?"

"Sure, where are we going," Po asked.

"You'll see," I smiled. I took them down the mountain, past the village, and into the bamboo forest.

"Where are we going," Po asked again.

"You'll see," I reiterated. We finally got through the forest to see a little house with smoke coming out the chimney. I walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

"Who lives here," Krystal asked. Before I could say anything, the door opened to an old wolf with a hunched over back, cane in hand, and glasses. The glasses were something I didn't expect. I smiled kindly as the wolf smiled back.

"Hello, may I help you," the wolf asked.

"Hello, we were wondering. Are you Ru," I asked.

"Why yes. Why do you ask?" Ru replied. I bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Ru," I said. "Mr. Ru this is Tigress, Krystal, Po, and I am Lion. I've heard so much about you, Mr. Ru."

"Excuse me," Po butted in, "Who is Mr. Ru and why did you bring us to see him? Not that we don't want to see you sir, but we barely even know you."

"Oh, I forgot about that. Everyone, this is Ru the Reborn Poet," I presented. Tigress's eyes widened and Krystal's and Po's mouths dropped.

"THE Ru?! How do you know about him," Po asked.

"Like I said, I watch you guys," I replied. Tigress bowed in front of Ru.

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Ru," said Tigress. Ru's eyes lit up.

"Ah, I remember you, dear," Ru recognized. "You use to hit the ironwood trees near my house." Tigress looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," she replied.

"No need. I needed the wood. I still have some from the last one you forced down," Ru said. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

"I've heard and read so many of your 'Reborn' poetry," Krystal said excitedly.

"Why don't you come inside? I've just finished making some food. It's more than enough for everyone," Ru invited. Po was the first to get inside and went straight to the table.

"He never moves that fast for training," Tigress remarked. We all went inside. Ru was a character that I made for another fan fiction. I wondered if he was real because I didn't think my stories would come alive. But by meeting Ru, they were real. (Ru is from my story _A Month_ if you're wondering.)

That also means there were other things in my stories that would come to bite me in the butt. I groaned. "What's the matter," Krystal asked. Then there was Krystal. She was to be my help in all of this. I thought about it for a while.

"I'll tell you when we get back," I whispered to her. She nodded.

* * *

I stretched as we got back to the palace. By now, overexcited Po probably told all the returning masters about me. Tomorrow's going to be interesting. I went into my room when I heard the door shut behind me. I forgot Krystal was behind me. "So what did you want to talk to me about," she asked. I looked around to make sure no one would hear us.

"I...I am the Lion Warrior, but not in the way you think," I told her. She was confused. "At my home world, I wrote stories about Tigress and Po, and it seems that my stories are coming alive."

"What kind of stories did you write," She asked me.

"Eh, most of them were romances between two people," I said. Then I realized what Demi meant. "Krystal, I'm going to tell you the reason I'm here."

"To train Tigress and Po," She guessed.

"No. I'm here to...and please don't laugh or get overly excited about it...I have to get Tigress and Po together. As in a relationship." I could see her trying to suppress laughter. I looked at her as she tried so hard to contain it. I sighed. "Go ahead, just don't burst."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She ripped out. For two full minutes, she laughed and then settled down. "Okay, I'm good. Whew! You think that's even possible?"

"Many people in my world at the very least want Po to be married to someone cute looking, but you're already married to me so-"

"Wait you were going to offer me to Po?!"

"I'm kidding," I laughed at her overreaction. "But seriously, Po deserves to have someone close to him, don't you think?" She pondered about it and then nodded.

"But Tigress?"

"Demi told me that my stories would be brought to life to see if it would bring them together. That's why I wanted to see Ru. I wrote about him," I said.

"So anything you wrote it came to life?" I nodded. "Then what about me?"

"Demi provided that. I didn't know about you," I replied. She seemed upset. "I mean I can tell that Demi has my taste in women, but I didn't have a choice in that."

"Oh," She said, perking up and having a mischievous smile, "So you do like me?" I became nervous. I chuckled nervously. Then I remembered something.

"Wait, I did write about you! You were my wife in one of my stories. I just never elaborated on how you were," I explained. (See _Life of Po_ )

"So I was your wife even in your stories," She asked, still a little upset. I looked at her seriously.

"Krystal, would you have agreed to just be my friend if you had the choice," I asked.

"Well..." She paused for a while, "I don't know you all that well, yet. I don't know, honestly. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I appreciate your honesty," I smiled. "But that's why I'm here. And I know it's impossible. That's why I'm writing the book. When it's completed, I can go home."

"Wow. Demi's a real jerk," Krystal said. I laughed. She was right, but it was the way she said it that made me laugh.

"Yes, yes he is."

"But...I'm coming to like you a bit."

"Aw, just a bit," I joked. She giggled. I yawned. "But for now, I have to get some sleep. I have a big day tomorrow." Krystal rolled her eyes.

"Are you always tired," She asked.

"Yes, yes I am."

 **to be continued.**


	7. Lion Rumors

Lion Rumors

* * *

"The masters will be here tomorrow," Master Shifu said, "Po told me over and over and over-"

"He said that you were the Lion Warrior," Viper interrupted Master Shifu's repetition. I nodded as I sipped my tea. The tea here is much more different than the ones in my world. They make me relax so much. "That's amazing."

"If I had a dime for every time I heard that today," I muttered.

"A what," Mantis said.

"Nothing," I recovered. "Anyways, if they are coming tomorrow, then Master Shifu and I have to prepare for the speech."

"I believe you're ready enough," Shifu replied. "I think now is the time to ask you some questions." I sighed. This was going to take a while.

"Okay shoot," I said, making one of the worst mistakes I've made. There was a barge of questions coming at me. "WAIT! Can we please have some order here? And please don't let Po ask any questions. We'll be here all day."

"Hey," Po exclaimed.

"Anyways, it's said that the Lion Warrior can do almost anything but not die. And even then it's hard to do," Monkey said.

"Well, it's true. Lion Warriors are hard to kill," I said. _At least, that's how I think I wrote them,_ I thought to myself.

"That means you know all about the legends," Krystal said in excitement.

"The...legends," I asked.

"Yeah, it's said that the Lion Warriors could not only predict the future but also knew the legendary warriors of the land," Crane clarified.

"And you do," Krystal added, "You knew about Ru though he's not really a warrior legend." I thought about it for a moment. Could they mean my stories? It's possible. _Heh, anything is possible in this situation,_ I thought to myself. "But do you know other legends? Stories that only a few people know." I shrugged.

"It's possible," I replied. While the others were distracted, Krystal whispered to me.

"It's probably from your writings." I thought about it. It's completely possible. Just how many, though?

"ANYhow, that also means that you know all about other places on this world," Viper said.

"Well, I do know a lot about China. Where I actually come from is a lot further from Africa. In fact, I'm not from Africa. I only said that so you would understand," I replied.

"Fair enough," Crane nodded, "But what is your place like then?"

"Eh, it's a lot to explain. First of all, in the other world, I'm not a lion. In fact, I'm a completely different kind of species called a Human," I said emphasizing the human. "They have a lot less fur than you, they don't have tails, they range in colors, shapes, height, personality, beliefs, so many differences."

"And they all get along," Tigress asked.

"HA! Heck no," I retorted. "We have fights on color, shape, height, personality, especially beliefs, money, and if we did have tails, I think we would be fighting about that too."

"Wow, sounds like it's better to be in our own world," Shifu said.

"Yep," I smiled, "But there are some perks to my world. One, where I live women have more freedom than they do here."

"Really," Tigress and Viper perked up.

"Though we do have a case of (ahem) mistaken identities," I said awkwardly, "But you get use to it. Don't ask me how to explain that."

"Wow, so what about other worlds," Master Shifu asked. I thought about it.

"Well, there are some worlds that are like yours, but then there are worlds that are much bigger than you can comprehend. It's a lot." I was going on a hunch. If Demi existed, then that meant there were other worlds, dimensions rather that couldn't be accessed by us humans. It's much like a book really. One letter on a page can't just flip the page and go to the other page or rip through the page. However, Demi could do just that without ripping the whole page. "What?" I was reminded that people were talking to me.

"I said, is your family there, in your world," Viper asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Guys, I am bit tired today. Why don't Master Shifu and I just do the thing for the meeting and be done with the day. I don't even feel like training Po or Tigress."

"Okay, okay," Po said. "Just one question. Do you have a girlfriend in the other world?" I saw Krystal's eyes dart towards me. I just smiled.

"No, I've never had a girlfriend in the other world," I casually replied. Then I remembered something from my stories. "Po, can I ask you a question that you'll be completely and utterly honest with me," I asked seriously. My mood change must have freaked out the others. I would have to read their minds later.

"O...kay, what," Po replied. Krystal and the others looked at me intently.

"Did you have a good childhood," I asked.

"Of course, it was one of the happiest times of my life. Well, second, compared to being Dragon Warrior," He replied. "Why?"

"Nothing," I said relieved. I didn't want...it hurts me to even think of the name. "Anyways, let's get ready for the masters."

"Would this rule go for every master," Mantis asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to meet with your girlfriend. Besides, this only applies to Po," I said. He seemed so excited about that. "But the thing is Po is held at a ridiculous standard that no one has to follow."

"That's not exactly true," Tigress argued.

"Oh yeah? How many of you haven't had a crush on someone, liked someone deeply, or had or have a girlfriend," I questioned. They all stayed silent. "Exactly, Po shouldn't be the only one to suffer. Heck! I'm the Lion Warrior and I'm married!"

"Okay, okay we get it," Crane said, trying to settle my mini-outrage.

"Now if you'll excuse Shifu and me, we'll be working on the preparations for the meeting," I exited out with the little red panda. We prepared the possible arguments for the resistance to uphold the law.

"They'll probably say that the code of the law is final," Shifu presented.

"Then I say the law can and always has been revised," I countered, "But with if they say something dumb like, 'Po is the universal warrior so the universe is responsible for getting him a wife'?"

"Then you'll just say that that just proves that even the universe is concerned with getting him a wife. But I think our greatest argument is that the warriors are to protect the people not be detached from the people," Shifu said. Just then something hit me.

"Po's coming," I announced without flinching. Then I saw Shifu's ears twitch confirming Po was coming. Po quietly came into the Hall of Heroes.

"What is it, Dragon Warrior," Master Shifu asked. I could tell he was a little annoyed.

"Nothing nothing. I was just checking on how you guys were doing," Po said curiously.

"We're trying to prepare any arguments that the council might have," I explained. Po just nodded. I could tell his face was a little uneasy. Po is very easy to read. "Don't be worried. We'll be able to persuade them." _Either by words or Jedi mind tricks,_ I thought evilly.

"Why are you so concerned about this, Po," Shifu asked. He was silent for a while.

"I just don't want to be alone, okay? I know I have friends and family and stuff like that, but it's different with someone close to you. You know that, right Lion," Po replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you dragging me into this," I muttered, "Listen, Po, if we do convince the council, that doesn't mean that you'll find the perfect person on the spot. True love is patient and isn't fluctuated by looks, circumstances, or...food." That last one was just made to be funny. "What I'm saying is focus on trying to be the mate that you want to meet."

"I know," Po said, frustratedly knocking himself in the head. "I need to stay focused. Do you have those feathers?"

"Right here," I said presenting them to him. "And Tigress has the ropes."

"Thanks." With that, Po left. Shifu looked at me.

"Why do you have Crane's feathers in your pocket," he asked.

"Hey, the bird molts enough for me to use his feathers. I don't question it," I replied. We worked a bit longer and then we stopped. As we went to the barracks, I casually asked Shifu, who would make a good mate for Po. Shifu thought about it.

"Honestly, I don't know," He replied. "I thought that-" He stopped right there and shook his head. "Never mind, it would never happen." I so wanted to look into his mind and see what he was about to say, but I gave him the respect of privacy. Plus, it wouldn't be right to assume he meant Tigress. 'It would never happen,' He said. I was beginning to have second thoughts about my mission.

Anyways, I went to my room, where Krystal was brushing her fur; Shifu went to the kitchen. I looked at Krystal weirdly. "What," she asked.

"You brush your fur," I questioned.

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think people in this world brushed their fur," I shrugged. Then I smiled.

"What," Krystal asked.

"Nothing, I just find this whole thing absolutely insane. First, I drop out of the sky with awesome powers, then I get married, now I'm helping Po with getting lifetime happiness," I said. Krystal looked at me with a smirk.

"Well, now I know you're a good person at heart, and it's good to see that you're smiling a bit more. You were more pessimistic when you first got here."

"I'm more nervous and giddy than worried. I am going to finally get Po released from that strict law," I replied. Then a question out of the blue came up. "Did you have a boyfriend?" Krystal stopped her brushing.

"What," she asked in a breathy laugh.

"Did you have a boyfriend before me," I asked. "It's a simple question."

"Well,...yeah but it didn't really work out. He said he had to go over to fight some home war and..."

"You don't have to explain," I told her, "I'll just fill in the details for myself."

"It's not that deep," she waved. "I found him with some other woman." _Oh,_ I thought, _That wasn't what I thought she would say._

"I'm sure it wasn't what-"

"He told me all about it," She said in a silent rage. "That...person wasn't his relative and he said it was over with us."

"Why," I asked, as I sat on the mat next to her. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know!" She shouted. "How the heck was I suppose to know?!" In hindsight, that wasn't the best question to ask.

"I'm sorry. It was a bad question." We stayed silent for a while.

"He said I was too much for him," she finally said.

"That's ridiculous," I exclaimed. She looked at me. "Sure you're a bit hyper and energetic, but that's not all bad. In fact, it helps sometimes to have a...um...a bright personality."

"Not to him," She muttered.

"Hey, he was looking for the wrong thing, alright? You're a good person," I smiled. She surprised me with a hug around my torso. I hugged her back patting her on the back. "Besides, you're almost like Po and that's not all bad." She pushed away and looked at me with a smirk.

"Yeah, that wasn't an insult at all," she replied. I shrugged with a smile.

"Well, I want to get some sleep before I do the speech tomorrow."

"I hope you win Lion," She smiled. I smirked back.

"Come on, have some faith in me."

 **to be continued.**


	8. Love and Legend

Love and Legend

* * *

"Master Lion, you must understand that the rules are here for the safety of others," Said Master Ox. I sighed. Master Croc, Master Ox, Master Ram, Master Chao, Master Rhino, and other masters were there. I instantly knew that it would be a hard task once I saw most of the people with long hard faces. It WAS intimidating at first but then I realized who I was fighting for. Not only for Po but for the same people I was going to be talking to! I breathed.

"Master Ox, I understand that the rule is there for safety reasons, but the reasons for the law themselves are baseless IF the person knows how to do Kung Fu well," I replied. "Two masters are better than one."

"That maybe," Master Chao answered. He was much slimmer in person than I thought. "But the fact is that the person in danger would have to be able to get themselves out of the traps set for them."

"And the right person for the Dragon Warrior would be able to know Po long enough to evade and get out any situation. Plus, Po is the Dragon Warrior and is able to do anything," I replied.

"Master Lion," Master Rhino started, "The council cannot concede to changes in its code of laws just for earthly pleasures. We must think of others first. Also, relationships such as that would just distract the Dragon Warrior."

"On the contrary, it would be the very concern of the loved one that would persuade him to train better and become more," I replied, pointing to Po. He, the Furious Five, and Krystal were sitting on the side. Master Shifu was right next to me.

"I'm sorry, Master Lion," said a somber Master Ox, "Until you provide us with some better basis, we cannot say anything about this rule." Shifu and I regrouped. I could see in my peripheral that Po was in distress about the situation.

"What do we do now? Shall we present the other argument we made?" Shifu asked. I growled lowly.

"No, I'm going to lay it plain," I replied gruffly. I came back to the semicircle of masters.

"I assume that you have another argument to present us, Master Lion," asked Master Chao. He already knew I wouldn't go down easily.

"Master Ram, do you have a girlfriend," I asked.

"Ugh! Um! My personal life is not a matter of this court decision-"

"Master Chao, how many times have you had your eyes on a lady?"

"In my years I have grown...fond of some women. But-"

"Master Ox, what about you? And Master Croc and all of you! You've 'fallen in love' at least a dozen times in your lifetime. Some of you have gone through with it. Great Master Viper has a wife, Master Shifu had a girlfriend. How can you say that relationships are distractions when you yourselves have gone into this distraction! And yet you want Po not to do it, simply because he is the Dragon Warrior! Look at me. I'm the Lion Warrior and I'm married." _Though that's under different circumstances,_ I thought to myself. "You're saying that a master shouldn't be attached to any earthly pleasures, and I agree. But the problem is this: It. Can. Never. Be. Done!"

"Why do you say that?" Master Chao asked.

"Because any master who is dedicated to protecting the people of China can not detach from earthly connections because their prime duty is to the people of China and the earth. And if that person is specially picked by the universe, he has even a greater duty to the world," I finished with this. "You all have experienced some kind of love. Now, I don't know if it was good or bad, but I know that at some point, you liked it. And what happened? You got either closer to that person or you knew more about that person. Some of you have married and, at least, one time in your life, your family was in danger. And what happened? You secured their safety. This isn't a matter of attachment. This isn't a matter of safety. This is a matter of happiness, joy, and love! When I saw you masters come in, not one of you had a smile on your face. You, the masters, who have probably achieved earthly detachment, are supposed to be happy. Why aren't you smiling? I'm not saying that your faces mean that you're not happy, but still." The council talked to each other for a while. I waited impatiently.

"We, the council have made our decision," said Master Chao. I looked at a worried Po. "We have...considered the proposal that Master Lion has given and have come to the decision that the Dragon Warrior shall be able to marry a fellow Kung Fu master AND keep his title." I sighed in relief as I heard the others cheering.

"To ease the concern of the council," I said, "I will bring some of the 'legends' that I know to the Jade Palace to make it safer." I didn't know how I was possibly going to do that, but I was willing to do anything to seal this deal.

"That would help," Master Ram said. "And Dragon Warrior, I hope you find the person just right for you." Po smiled as he bowed.

"I'm surprised that you were able to find all the masters AND get them to come here so quickly," I whispered to Shifu as the masters went away.

"They...weren't doing anything important to be honest," Shifu replied. "And I know Po is very happy." I looked over to the panda who was surrounded by his celebrating friends. Yet, I could sense a different emotion in Po than happiness. It almost seemed like...doubt.

* * *

I walked with Master Tigress to the Training Hall where Po was sadly sitting on the sideway looking at the dirt below him as his feet lazily swung back and forth. We quietly walked over behind him and I startled him by tapping him. "AAAHH!"

"Sorry," I apologized. "We were just wondering why you looked sad."

"Sad? Me? No no. I was just...training my...eyes to stare at something for a long time," He lied. Tigress shook her head.

"Wow, your lies are worst IN person than just seeing them from afar," I remarked. Po sighed as we sat down next to him; Tigress on the left and me on the right. "What's wrong? I fought for you to get a girlfriend and now you seem like I put a curse on you. You should be walking on coals of fire dancing and hollering!"

"I think Lion is saying you shouldn't be sad. Why are you," Tigress asked.

"How?"

"How what," I asked.

"How am I going to find a female Kung Fu master that will like to be with me," Po replied.

"Hey, if Krystal can go for me, there's hope for anyone," I commented. Po AND Tigress looked at me with un-flattered faces.

"You know that's completely different from what I'm in," Po remarked.

"I know," I replied, smiling. "Cheer up! You're the Dragon Warrior and a guy with a golden heart. Grow up a little and I'm sure that you'll find someone." Po stood up.

"Yeah, you're right. I am awesome," Po said getting encouraged.

"No one ever said that," I muttered, "But you are an extraordinary person." He wore a cocky smile on his face as we got up. "Now, the next morning is your turn training. We got over one hurdle today, but you still have your training."

"Aw, but I thought I would get a break after today," Po complained.

"Po, today IS your break," I replied. "Tomorrow morning." I left the two alone in the Training Hall.

"You better shape up if you want a female mate to come," Tigress smirked. I could still hear them through the walls.

"Oh come on, Tigress. I know you've been falling for me," Po said cockily. I heard Tigress throw a hard punch into his gut.

"Dream on, panda," Tigress sighed. I shook my head as I went to the room where Krystal attacked me with a hug.

"Okay, what did I do?"

"You helped Po that's what! I'm so proud of you," Krystal said. She let me go and smirked at me smugly. "That was pretty interesting to get the masters involved."

"They were being ridiculous," I defended. "They didn't have to do it, why should Po?" Krystal just continued to smile.

"Now what?" I huffed.

"I don't know. First, I have to get Po to be a little...less reckless and rash. Sure he has a good heart, but still. Then I have to make Tigress lower her guard a little bit. And you're going to help me with that," I smiled widely at her surprised face.

"How?"

"You and Tigress have been talking for a while and I think you can help influence her to at least look at Po with some interest."

"I don't know if I can do that."

"I know it would be hard so I'm thinking that this will take some time. LONG time," I sighed. She playfully pushed the corners of my lips into a smile.

"Hey, cheer up! It's not that bad. Plus, if you get the 'legends' together, this place will get very interesting very quickly." I nodded. That would be interesting. Then I remembered.

"That maybe a little bad. Not all the legends have good backstories," I replied. "But not all the legends might be true, though. It is just Demi's raffle of what is legendary and what isn't."

"But what if the ones that are bad come true," Krystal asked. I sighed.

"Then come what may," I said grimly.

* * *

The next day, I was having Po do push-ups...with me sitting on top of him. A one hundred eighty pound lion would be a little troublesome to lift, but Po seemed to be working along with it. Then Tigress and Krystal came out to the courtyard. Po greeted them cockily.

"Hey, girls." Krystal giggled while Tigress rolled her eyes. I hit Po's head with a stick I had. "OW!"

"No talking. You train," I said getting off his back while he continued his exercise. "What's up," I asked Krystal and Tigress.

"Nothing, we were just wondering what you have Po doing," Krystal wondered.

"It doesn't seem too different from what Master Shifu usually has him doing," Tigress mentioned.

"Master Shifu weighs less than me," I pointed out. Tigress nodded in agreement.

"But it doesn't really matter," Po smirked as he finished his exercises. "With my bodacious strength, anything is possible." Krystal smirked, Tigress pinched the top of her nose, and I growled.

"Dang it, Po," I growled upset. "You're just like-" I stopped right there, but everyone in the room had their eyes on me.

"Like who," Po questioned, looking me straight in the eye. I guess he was expecting me to say something insulting about him. However, I simply said.

"You're just like your brother," I muttered lowly. Krystal and Tigress looked at Po, who was confused.

"But...I don't have a brother," he replied.

"Not in blood, but in character you do. He's one of the legends, and I don't think it is a story I want to tell you," I said as I was about to go out. Po's heavy. I say that because he tackled me to the ground to stop me. "Po, get off of me!"

"Sorry, I just really want to know about my brother," Po said. I could also see that Krystal had tackled me too. I lifted them up off of me with my super strength.

"Please," they looked at me with big wide cute eyes; Krystal's was cuter than Po's naturally. I shook my head.

"No, it wouldn't be good." I turned to go out, but Tigress had stopped me.

"Please Lion, could we hear the story? To be honest, I want to know about Po's brother as well," She said. I laughed shortly.

"You're going to have to be a lot...softer to move me," I replied as I passed her. She stopped me again

"Please," She said with a closed mouth smile, gentle eyes, and hands together. Now I know the mythical 'Tigress smile' so many fanfic writers talk about. It does break a person. I growled lowly.

"Fine," I mumbled. "You might as well get the whole-" Before I could finish, Crane, Viper, Mantis, and Monkey were with Krystal and Po behind me. "O...kay." They all sat down in front of me. "Now come close to me my little children," I said like an old storyteller, "As I tell you this tale. Now, which one of you knows about the Wuxi Finger Hold?"

"Oo, Ooo, pick me," Po raised his hand. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, Po."

"It was created by Master Wuxi in the third dynasty and affects the opponent's chi. It then spreads that chi into a golden ring of energy," Po said proudly. Okay, before that, I didn't know about that.

"Kung Fu geek," Monkey muttered.

"Ah, but do you know what happens to the person? Where do they go? What happens to them," I asked him. He couldn't answer that. "You see, my friends, it is believed that Tai-lung survived the Wuxi Finger Hold. They say he and his chi were transported and reconstructed in a different place. It is rumored that Wuxi Finger Hold sends a person to the place he or she is needed. So Tai-Lung was transported to the place near the giant Himalayan mountains, on the other side of them. It was said he fell from the sky, in the same way, Po fell from the sky though the fall did have a hard landing." _Heh, seems cats don't always land on their feet,_ I joked in my head. "So in this place, not far from where the mighty lesser lions roam."

"Lesser lions," Krystal asked.

"These lions don't look like me. They have a shorter mane," I explained. "Anyways, one such lion was crossing Tai-Lung's injured place. His name was Nelon and he was on his way back to his house when he ran over Tai-Lung, literally."

"I wish we could see that," Tigress murmured. I thought about it.

"Why not," I said. I clapped my hands together and made a bluish gas spread around them. The next thing they saw was Tai-Lung on his back and underneath a cart. The Lion Warriors could also do visual demonstrations.

"OW!" Tai-Lung shouted.

"Sorry," Nelon replied. "I didn't see you there. What are you doing on the ground, sir?"

"Grunting in pain that's what," Tai-Lung shot back.

"Though he wasn't the kindest person," I continued, "Nelon still had compassion on him and gently took him back to his household and cared for him." The demonstration showed all of this as I narrated. "Nelon and his wife nursed Tai-Lung back to health. What Tai-Lung didn't know about Nelon was that he was one of the Master Swordsmen."

"The who," Krystal asked.

"The Master Swordsmen, or the League of Master Swordsmen, were a deadly group of four swordsmen that were legendary. They say that most of them are feline," Crane explained, "I think one was a lion, one a tiger, a mountain lion, and another a...a snow leopard." Crane started to realize something, but I continued with the story.

"Anyways, under Nelon's guidance, Tai-Lung was trained in the ways of the swordsmen. Nelon noticed the gift Tai-Lung had: his ambitious tendency. Tai-Lung had changed in that he was a little less...mean, but it wasn't enough to get rid of his anger and hatred for what happened to him. So Nelon told him a story of a prince...who became a slave for his people." The demonstration cloud showed the lion and the snow leopard sitting at a table, talking, but you couldn't hear them. "And then he said to Tai-Lung."

"This...panda of whom you speak of, he must have been teased, hurt, and laughed at, much like the prince. And yet, by your description, he prevented you from laying waste to YOUR village, destroying YOUR own father, and didn't know if he was going to live to see another day. Meanwhile, you, having everything and did nothing to protect the people, but just to get a scroll which was blank, what does that say about you? To be the greatest warrior, swallow your pride, admit you were wrong and go back to helping, protecting, and serving the people. That's the only way you'll ever be happy. Let go of your futile hate and go to work."

"A hard thing to swallow, but Tai-Lung started looking at his life. It had already been two years since he was ' _skadooshed'_ out of China. Maybe it was time to let this hatred go. So finally, he left all the things from his past behind and assumed a new name, Tai-gee." Tigress suppressed a laugh in the back, but everyone looked at her.

"Nothing. It's just...Master Shifu once told me that he would call Tai-Lung that name to get his attention sometimes. He always hated the name. I just find it ironic he chose that name," Tigress explained.

"I think it was because of humility," I replied. "Anyways, with that, Nelon and Tai-gee traveled the known world protecting the people. Now, some say that Tai-gee has come to China. If he did, then he looks completely different. Tai-gee now has black pants, plain purple vest, bandaged arms and feet, black gloves, black cape, a gray metal mask which you can only see his eyes and mouth, and a black straw hat. Basically, you can't tell if he's a snow leopard or not." The bluish demonstration disappeared around them and they were back to the Training Hall.

"Wow, that was amazing," Viper said.

"Hardly," I heard Tigress murmur.

"But why is he my brother," Po asked.

"It's said, though I don't know if this is true, that as a way to become a true warrior, Tai-gee would try to be like Po within the short time that Tai-gee got to know him. It's also said that since Tai-gee was born in the year of the dragon, that Po and Tai-gee are the sons of dragons. But Tai-gee is like Po in many ways. "

"So...he has a gut," Mantis asked, making everyone snicker and laugh, except Po.

"No, he's...energetic and carefree like Po. Again, who knows if this is a reality or not. Tai-gee may not be alive. It's all a legend," I finished as everyone clapped, except Tigress, who had the hardest face I've seen her with yet.

"That was an awesome story," Monkey said.

"It would be interesting if it were true," Crane added.

"Of course, if that's true, then Po didn't really do away with Peng's uncle," Mantis mentioned.

"That's right," Po replied joyfully.

"It's only a legend," I stated with a smile. As they trickled out of the Training Hall, I looked at Tigress, who had her back towards me and arms crossed. "There's also another legend about you and Shifu, Tigress."

"And what about that," she asked roughly.

"That after Tai-gee was imprisoned, Master Shifu didn't show much...appreciation or pride as he once did," I said. She remained quiet. "If that's so, it's a good thing." She whipped around, looked me angrily in the eye, and growled, showing her sharp teeth.

"Why," She growled out. I calmly replied, though a little scared at the reaction.

"Because I don't think the world could handle _another_ Tai-Lung, especially in the form of a tiger." Tigress turned away from me and turned her back towards me again. I knew she was upset at the fact that Tai-lung, this criminal that caused all this hurt, including causing her master to not appreciate others, namely her, could just drop out of the sky somewhere, make a turnaround, and be declared a hero. "You know, there are a number of things that masters shouldn't do. One of them is to keep anger and hatred. If they do that, it won't affect the people they hate. Only the people they love will be hurt." I saw Tigress's ears droop down. Her whole body slouched from her usual erect and proud stance. "And I know Po, who has the greatest reason to hold on to that hatred, has let it go and is the Dragon Warrior," I added. She sighed. I smiled as I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Come on, why don't we see where Krystal is and get some noodles." She nodded.

"Thank you," She whispered quietly.

That was the main reason I didn't want to tell that story. But it was better to tell it and battle to a better state than to have never told it at all. It's like I always say. Every story must be told. After all of this, I wrote the experience down in my book.

 **to be continued.**


	9. Reading the Room

Reading the Room

* * *

"So, she never did like him over that," Krystal asked me the next day. We were in our room. "Wow, all that hatred for that long." I shrugged.

"It's easy to do. I've seen it a lot in my other world. It also causes mass chaos and violence," I said in a casual tone. I looked at Krystal's horrified face. You would be scared too if you were in her position. "But there is some good in my world. Just not on the surface."

"Well, that's interesting," Krystal replied. "I guess it wasn't the best thing to tell that story, huh?"

"Actually, it did a good thing for her. She let go of her hatred of him. I just hope that that legend doesn't come true. What would happen if Master Shifu figured out he was alive?" I looked at the ground pensively. "Well, it's only a legend." I saw Krystal was in a simple white dress with a black cloth belt around her waist. My eyebrows perked up. "You changed your usual look," I audibly took notice.

"Yeah, I didn't want to have the same look every day. I want to change up things sometimes, you know," She said. I smiled.

"Yeah, I know," I replied. "I'm just a little intrigued as to why you did that?"

"Just to change things up," She replied. I shrugged. "So...do you have any other stories?"

"Well, I'm not really sure about some of them. Like there are two other swordsmen that I haven't told them. There is one that I don't know about, but we can check out," I said to her. "I'm just not sure about what to do about it." Then an idea came to mind. "I have an idea. Get Tigress and Po to come to the Training Hall." So she did. I rushed to the Training Hall to see Zeng casually sweeping the floor. "Purrfect," I purred. I shook my head. Did I just actually purr? Just then, Tigress, Po, and Krystal came into the Training Hall, where I put up a target, right where Zeng was sweeping for the moment. "Po, I'm going to teach you how to take a shot from anywhere," I said.

"Okay, how," Po asked.

"Simple," I said taking my stance and took the shot. I purposely missed, but the arrow was going towards Zeng.

"Zeng! Watch out!" Po shouted. Before anyone could say anything else, Zeng, without looking, caught the arrow with one hand. I could see that his eyes were dilated and then slowly closed back up; I wasn't that close to him mind you, but I could see these things from afar. Krystal, Tigress, and Po stood in amazement. Zeng presented us the arrow.

"D-did you need this Master Lion," He asked with his usual nervous stutter. I took the arrow from him with a smile.

"Thank you, Zeng. I'm sorry I nearly shot you," I apologized.

"I'm...kind of use to it," He said. Then he walked out of the Training Hall.

"I can't believe it," I said with an open smile.

"Yeah. I didn't think that Zeng could catch that shot," Po marveled. I looked at Tigress's open mouth.

"Tigress, how much training would it take to develop a heightened sense of surrounding," I asked.

"Um... with dedicated training, about...five years. But I've never been able to do it completely from the backside like Zeng did. How did he catch that," she wondered. I smiled.

"I think I know, but I can't tell you right now," I replied with a smile. "Now, I think we're on a hiatus for now. I think I'll go down to the village and get some food. Tigress, you're coming with me. I have a special training session for you and Krystal to work together on."

"What is that?" Tigress asked.

"Reading a room," I said. Tigress seemed confused. Krystal came up to me and motioned me to come with her in private.

"What are you doing?" She asked me.

"It's a simple training technique. Best to learn from experience than just prime knowledge," I replied. "I want you to make sure that she learns. You'll be teaching her."

"Why me," she questioned.

"Because you know how to read a room better than me. Plus, you'll have a pupil under your wing," I said, trying to coax her into it. She made a frustrated face but finally said.

"Fine, but you're coming with me," She conditioned.

"My dear," I said with a smooth voice, "Don't I always."

"No," She answered smiling. Then we turned to the panda and tiger.

"Po, you'll stay here. Relax for a while but don't get yourself in trouble," I warned him.

"When have I ever gotten into trouble," He said.

"Po, don't make me get the list out," I sighed. "It's very heavy, and I don't want to carry it today." Krystal giggled while the panda pouted. "Anyways, Tigress let's go." So we went down the mountain and decided to stay around Mr. Ping's shop. It was a logical idea since the people liked the food and it was also always busy. I ordered a bowl of noodles while Krystal and Tigress talked together about the room. Their conversation was interesting.

"I don't know why I have to do this," Tigress sighed.

"Just listen up and try to understand. Lion is right. There will be times when you'll need to see and understand the room in order to protect yourself and others." She pointed to a couple in the corner. "Those two in the corner aren't really a couple." This actually seemed to intrigue Tigress.

"How do you know," Tigress asked.

"You see her eyebrows? And look at her hands. She doesn't want to be here with this guy. He's probably paying her to spend the day with him." Just then two other couples came inside and sat right where the couple was. "Or just for show. Too bad for him that it probably won't end well." Krystal pointed to a nice gentle pig in the center of the room. "You see that pig? He's been divorced recently. By the looks of it, I would say they were married for about five years before they split."

"How do you know," Tigress asked.

"Men keep the ring if they're widowed, don't they," I asked. Krystal nodded in agreement.

"How about that duck with the wide smile," Tigress asked.

"That, my friend, is a player to the bone. I can tell he has a confident look on his face, but he seems to be choosing who his prey will be," Krystal explained. Just then the duck came over to Krystal, ignoring me.

"Hello my dear," He greeted. "You look like a traveler. Why don't I show you around town a bit?"

"I'm sorry," Krystal said with a kind smile. "But I'm here with my husband and he knows the area pretty well, right dear?" I unsheathed my claws.

"Yes, I do," I growled lowly. The duck quickly got the message and scampered away. Krystal looked at me with a knowing smirk. I just sipped my tea as I spoke through the liquid. "Don't say it. Save it for when we get back."

"Anyways," Tigress continued. "What about that lady goat over there?" Krystal squinted her eyes at the lady and then she jumped back as she took a sip of her cup.

"That's not a lady," she replied. Tigress's eyes widened as I calmly set my cup down.

"Okay, I think we're done here. I'll pay Mr. Ping and we'll get out of here." So I did. As we went up back the mountain, Krystal continued to talk.

"You see why it's important to read a room?" Tigress nodded. "Keep in mind that you make basic assumptions about certain characters in a room for objective reasons, not for personal reasons. A wolf that looks like a wolf bandit isn't always a bandit. You know that from seeing Ru. The point is that you have to make sure that your assumptions about that particular person are right. You must learn to observe from afar." Then an idea popped into my head.

"Maybe you can learn how to observe from afar now," I said. Krystal and Tigress looked at me quizzically. "Back at home, we have this game called Assassins' Creed." They looked at me with horrified looks. I rolled my eyes. "We didn't really kill anyone. Anyways, one of the things we would do is follow a subject without being detected."

"But Master Shifu has already taught me how to stay out of sight," Tigress replied.

"Yes, however, this time, you must be seen by the people. You must act like a normal citizen and not attract attention." Tigress crossed her arms as we came to the top.

"I don't see any challenge in that," she murmured.

"Think about it. Master Tigress of the Furious Five, who doesn't interact much with the people, suddenly comes down here. Everyone will be on you like hyenas on a meal," I explained. Tigress's expression changed from confident about the challenge to not so sure. I smirked. "We'll begin the training of that later. Right now, I have to make sure that Po hasn't done anything to get into trouble."

"PO!" I heard Monkey, Crane, Viper, and Mantis screamed.

"I was close," I muttered. We went into the kitchen to see it in shambles. Po's face was burnt and looked like it had just been through an explosion. I sighed. "Don't tell me. You tried to make some concoction and it went awry so quickly that you couldn't stop it." Po nodded. I shook my head while the others argued and fussed at Po. "INSTEAD," I shouted at everyone, "Of fighting and arguing about what Po did, we might as well help him clean it up." Slowly, everyone decided to help Po. "But Po, what I don't understand is why and how you come up with these...bad decisions."

"Well, quite honestly I get bored," He replied.

"You mean all this mess is because you get bored," Mantis retorted. "That's it!?"

"Ah, I see now. 'The idle mind is the demons' workshop.'," I quoted. "Learn to have something to do, then you'll worry less about coming up with these bad ideas. There's always work to do."

"But I don't like doing work," Po complained.

"And you think anyone else does," Monkey questioned rhetorically.

"Ah Ha! So here is the paradox," I smiled widely. "You want something to do without it becoming work, but because you can't find anything to do that isn't work, you get in trouble. And what, my friend, does that leave you," I asked with the broom on my shoulders. I could tell Po was baffled.

"A...confused panda," Po asked.

"EXACTLY," I exclaimed as I hit him over the head with the broom.

"OW!"

"The sooner you learn this lesson, the faster and less you'll get out of trouble," I said in my 'sensei' tone. I could also see the others snickering as well. "But know this, and this goes for all of you," I said, regaining their attention. "A good warrior doesn't idle and let his mind wander to dangerous things, nor does he train so hard that he himself is broken. To avoid the fate of both, you must be fighting and standing for the safety of others." With that, I went back to my room where Krystal was waiting for me with a knowing smile. I sighed as I relaxed into the chair by the desk. "I'm guessing you want to ask about the situation with the duck."

"Yep," She smiled brightly. She got off the bed and approached me from behind. "Why did you have to scare him off like that?"

"Like you said, he was a player. If I remember correctly...a person of that characteristic hurt you last time. I didn't want that to happen again," I said. It was a sorry excuse, but it seemed to work.

"You really mean that," Krystal asked. I looked around to Krystal. She still had her smirk on. I sighed.

"Okay so I was a little...possessive I guess. I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries," I replied. She chuckled a little. Then she put her light blue scarf she got from the closet and bent down to my level.

"It's alright. It's okay to get a little possessive of your wife," She smirked. I scratched the back of my mane nervously.

"Nah, I don't like that idea. You're an individual, not my property." She smiled.

"Well, thanks for looking out for me. I guess you'll be my protective slave from now on," She said with a childish smile. I looked at her with half-lidded eyes and a fallen face.

"So wait. I'm your slave now?"

"Yep," She replied. I sighed as she took her scarf off of me and went to tend to herself. Meanwhile, I recorded everything I did in the book.

 **to be continued.**


	10. The Little Panda's Room

The Little Panda's Room.

* * *

Two weeks have gone by since the last time I did the journal entry. I'm now thinking of making this my journal when I get back. The reason for why I didn't write for two weeks is because I didn't think they were really something to write about. I would like to mention that during that time period certain things did happen: I was most sure that Zeng was one of my characters come alive. Krystal was usually busy training Tigress to observe people. She would usually use Zeng as a practice dummy, to which Zeng protest, but we didn't really take notice of it. It would leave me time to train Po because he could get into trouble if I didn't watch him. He hated the fact I didn't trust him, but it didn't take long for him to be amazed at what new trick I learned. And I did learn some new powers of mine every day. I just learned how to transport to any place I wanted. I also learned how to make three long metal claws come from my hands. They don't hurt like Wolverine's because of the natural painkiller the Lion Warriors had. Because I could travel anywhere I wanted, I decided to go to Rome, Italy. It was there I figured out what time period I was in. The Chinese cannon, which was the first cannon invented and by Shen, was first used around 1200's. It would explain why Rome was in shambles, but I did learn something from the ruins. I got back and started to implement the things I learned. And it got all sorts of questions, but I worked in secret. When it was done, at the last day of the two weeks. I presented it to everyone.

"What is it," Was the first thing that Tigress asked.

"You remember that trip I took to Rome," I asked.

"You mean where you disappeared and left us only a note to give us a hint," Krystal muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes. Well, while I was there, I relearned a simple thing that they have in my world but don't here." I opened the door and presented a toilet. They all looked at me weirdly.

"A toilet," Po asked. "Inside the barracks." I chose an empty room in the barracks to install an indoor toilet thanks to the indoor plumbing I got from the Roman ruins. I had known about plumbing for a while before I went to Rome. Some of my adult friends were plumbers and I would help them. As a result, I had an in-depth knowledge of toilets, but I went to Rome to try and get all the needed basics down.

"Isn't that a bad idea," Shifu criticized.

"This toilet, my friends, is an indoor toilet that flushes away the...um...excrement all away to a place underground for fertilizer," I explained.

"Oh. So how does it work," Krystal asked.

"Simple. When you're done with your business, you just push down that small lever and the toilet does the rest. Now I need a test rat."

"There are plenty down by Kin-gu," Monkey said. I smiled evilly.

"Not that kind of test rat. Monkey, my good man, you'll be my first test subject," I said as I pushed him inside before he could object. We all waited a while before we heard a flushing sound. I heard some splashing noise, meaning that Monkey was using the bowl of alcohol to wash his hands. Alcohol is good for cleaning germs. Monkey came out of the room with a surprised face.

"It really works," Monkey announced.

"You say that like it's not a usual occurrence," I said a little offended.

"Wow, amazing Lion," Viper said.

"Thanks, but there is one other thing I have to tell you about," I said as I directed them outside to the back. There they saw a big translucent tank right next to a pump. "This thing is what allows the toilet to 'reload' in a way. It has to be filled to the top in order for one day's use. So, this is another chore that I have to do. It's a very hard pump to pump."

"No need," Master Shifu said with a smirk. "Each of the Furious Five and Po will do it."

"Okay, but remember you have to come here early and do a lot of pumping. You're pulling water all the way from the bottom of the mountain, mind you," I explained. "Tigress, I'll let you try to pump it first." So she came up to the pump and soon found out it wasn't as simple as it looked. I had only pumped the water to half-point for the demonstration. Once she was done, about ten minutes later, the tank was only three-quarters full. I pumped the rest for her. "You see, it's a lot of work and a big responsibility."

"To take care of the toilet," Po laughed.

"Yes," I said to him, sternly.

So the arrangement of Po and the Furious Five doing the pumping was going well until it was Po's turn. It wasn't even midday before I heard Monkey telling me,

"There's no water in the toilet." So I looked at it. The toilet itself seemed fine. Then I looked at the tank. Empty. Now at the end of the day, the tank is usually half way full.

"Whose turn was it to pump the water," I asked. When Monkey told me it was Po, I sighed. Of course, it was the panda. Po was in bed so I decided to play a little joke on him as a punishment. I took a stick and whacked him over the head.

"Ow!" He exclaimed. I kept whacking him until he was out of bed. "Ouch! What was that for?" He grumbled.

"Don't get angry at me. The stick hit you. I'm not responsible for it," I smirked.

"But you used the stick so you hit me with the stick. So you're responsible," He replied, angrily.

"Oh!" I said with a pretended voice. "So tell me why that, even though you use the toilet, you weren't responsible for refilling the tank?" Po instantly tried to blame someone else, but I stopped him. "Doesn't matter 'whose' turn it was. If you see a need, you fulfill that need." I got that from a little robot friend. "And the Jade Palace _needs_ you to make sure that the tank is full! Now get!" I shouted whacking him with the stick again.

"OWW! Okay, okay," he groaned as he hopped out of bed to avoid another whacking. I smiled evilly to myself. I was having too much fun with this. So then I made my mistake. I _assumed_ that Po had filled the tank all the way, and it would have gone unnoticed if Crane didn't have the runs from Po's undercooked meal. It resulted in Po cleaning the gross excrements down the drain. The day after it was Po's turn, I sat him down the next morning.

"Listen, I don't like having to get up early in the morning to work some heavy pump just to make a toilet work. But Po, if you can't handle the little things that life gives you, how can you possibly handle the problems of monumental proportions? In other words, he who is faithful in little things is faithful in big things." I thought that would help him, but it turned out the next time it was his turn, a week after his last one, he forgot again and we had another situation with the toilet though a little...different.

"Why did you try to stuff your old skin down the toilet," Krystal asked as I tried to water bend the dried toilet down.

"Well, it worked last time, but the toilet had water," Viper replied. I shook my head. _This can't keep happening,_ I thought to myself. Then I came up with a plan to teach Po responsibility and avoid future situations. After about three days I present everyone with six small other rooms with toilets. I also showed them the much bigger tank out back, which had two pumps this time.

"Why did it take you so long to build the other one," Tigress asked.

"You'd be surprised how hard it is to get a toilet cast. Anyways, these toilets will be for the Furious Five, me, Krystal, and Shifu," I said.

"What about me," Po asked.

"You will have that other toilet to yourself. Think of it as the Dragon Warrior's Special Latrine," I said dramatically. I could see that he was excited. "But you'll have to be completely responsible for pumping the tank. The Furious Five are no longer responsible for that toilet. They and I will be using these toilets. You can't use them."

"Why," Po said a little offended.

"Because you can't FIT in them," I said plainly. Po looked at the rooms again. The entryways for them were very small. The entryway would be touching your shoulders if you leaned a hint to one side.

"So I have my own restroom? Cool," He said. I rubbed my hands together evilly.

"Yes, cool. For now. MWHAHAHAHA!" I laughed menacingly.

"Why are you laughing like that," Krystal asked.

"Oh," I composed myself, "Nothing." So it was working well and I noticed that Po pumped the tank only one time. Since he was the only one to pump the tank, I didn't make a big issue. It wasn't until I saw that the tank was completely empty that I put my plan into effect. I met Krystal while I went to the kitchen. Of course, she asked me what I was doing with a knife and a flat metal plate with holes. I just smiled at her. "You'll see."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Krystal sighed as she went with me. I took several fruits and vegetables, cut them into pieces, and mashed them into a delicious juice. "You're making juice."

"For Po," I said with an evil smile. Just then, the person of interest walked into the door. "Here, Po, you look thirsty."

"Am I ever," He said taking a gulp of the juice I made him. "Ahh! That was good. Do you have any water?" I gave him an entire jug of water and he drank it all. Then he left. Krystal looked at me suspiciously. I rolled my eyes.

"If you know that I'm doing something wrong, stop me," I said.

"That's the thing. I don't know what you're doing," She replied. About five minutes later, Krystal, the Furious Five, and I were in the kitchen when Po rushed by.

"Po," Tigress called, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just have to go the little panda's room," He replied. I smirked.

"It starts," I said darkly. Then I heard Po cry out as he ran again past the kitchen. "Po, what happened to your toilet," I asked.

"Nevermind that, I need to go someplace else."

"This I have to see," I said rushing after him. I saw him trying to fit through one of the entryways of the other six restrooms. "I don't think you'll be able to fit, Po," I smirked. He popped out of the entryway, dancing in place.

"What about the outhouse we had?"

"Oh, that? I had to use it for parts to build the toilets. Why don't you use the outhouse down the mountain?" Po quickly brushed past me and started down the mountain, but he accidentally slipped and bounced all the way down the mountain. I went back the kitchen and waited for Po to come back up. The Furious Five and Krystal were wondering what the whole ruckus was about and they kept asking me though I didn't say anything. It wasn't until Po came back that I spoke. "Oh, Po! Did you get to the restroom in time," I asked smugly. He just glared at me. Crane looked at his pants.

"Are those new pants," Crane asked. The pants Po had on were still stitched together, but they were a new pair.

"Yes, they are," Po growled.

"You sound upset, Po," I said, pretending to be innocent. "What's wrong?" Po still glared at me.

"You wanna know what happened when I finally bounced down the stairs? I suddenly realized that I didn't need to use the restroom anymore. Then I heard a little bunny girl say, 'Look mama! The panda wetted himself.' I was laughed at all the whole way to my dad's shop before I could take a bath and get a clean pair of clothes." The others were silent for a moment then laughed. "That's not funny!"

"I'm sorry Po, but that is kind of funny," Shifu said, with a smile. Po just pout.

"You set me up," He accused me.

"Me? How? All I did was give you some water and juice to quench your thirst," I replied, calmly.

"You knew that I wouldn't pump the tank and you waited until I had to go potty to make a clown out of myself."

"My dear friend, you don't need me to make a clown out of you. I honestly did believe that you would take care of yourself and your situations. It was you that did the deed," I smiled. Po just grumbled as he sat down at the table and held his head in his hand. "Po what are you upset for?" I asked this seriously.

"Because you humiliated me trying to teach me a lesson," He exclaimed. I was still calm as I said to him,

"Why are you complaining? I gave that personal toilet to you. That tank that holds water for the six toilets is twice the size as the one you have. It takes two of the Furious Five 45 minutes to pump the thing completely to the top. But they do it every other day. I have to do it alone the other days. I could control the water to fill the take, or I could pull water out of the air. But I choose to do it this way so I can understand the hardship the others go through. It takes me an hour and a half to fill that tank, which means I have to wake up earlier than the rest of you to fill it and that's from empty to full. But yours is much smaller plus you're the only one using it. You could have just pumped the water half way and not have to worry about it for a while, but you chose to let the responsibility go unattended. Plus when you did it, you did it half way. Now you say I did this to teach you a lesson, but you make it sound as a punishment. Irresponsibility has its own punishment. Think about it. The tank would have eventually emptied, you would have needed to go to the bathroom anyway, and you would still end up being humiliated. It was a simple thing for you to do! You had ONE job! It was a little thing but because you didn't do it, that little thing became a major issue. That's usually how you get in trouble isn't it? You forget to do seemingly little things and they blow up in your face. And the thing is it keeps happening over and over and you still fail to learn. Trouble doesn't find you, you just don't know how to avoid it. I could have told you more about irresponsibility, but you would have never listened. This was the only way to make sure you understood because you like doing things the hard way. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to bed." With that, I left the kitchen and went to my room to record what had happened. I was laughing all the way to the very end of the entry. Then Krystal came in with a sympathetic look.

"Don't you think that was a little cruel," Krystal argued.

"You know what I said was right," I replied. "The thing would have happened anyways. If he had filled the tank, none of this would have happened. He just had to pump enough water into the tank to flush it away. You can't think while you have a full bladder."

"Still."

"Irresponsibility has its own consequences," I repeated.

* * *

The next morning I awoke early as usual. It was my turn to pump the water in the tank. I decided to go to Po's toilet first. I tapped the tank and heard it was full. I smiled to myself. Po took responsibility. Then I went over to the other toilets' tank. I tapped the tank. It was full too. I distinctly remembering seeing the tank empty yesterday night. Now it was all the way full. I climbed up to the top. It was full to the brim. Who could have done this? I thought about it for a while. Then I went to Po's room and saw him sprawled over the bed. He was sweaty and looked like he had been working all night. I smiled. I put a blanket over him and put up a sign making sure no one bothered him. Then I went to the kitchen to eat. Slowly, the others trickled in. "What was the sign for?" Tigress asked.

"Po pumped the tank last night," I replied.

"Okay, so he gets a rest because he actually did it," Monkey said.

"Not just that. He also pumped the tank for the other toilets," I explained. I could see the shock and surprise in their faces. "I was surprised too. Po did it all by himself. He learned his lesson. Now let's eat."

 **to be continued.**


	11. The Fest

The Fest

* * *

"Po's learned his lesson. Now you must learn yours," I told Tigress the next day. "You have to learn how to get outside of your comfort zone. Now I feel a little hypocritical about this because I don't like getting outside my comfort zone. But ever since I've come here, I've gotten used to it." Tigress looked at me strangely."Anyways, we'll be doing something that I know Po has been wanting you to do." Her eyes widened.

"You're not serious," she said.

"Tigress you got to understand that...well, he just wanted you to see it," Krystal added trying to soften the blow. Tigress was still in avoidance.

"No, no, not-"

"Kung Fu Fan Festival!" Po exclaimed as he stormed in. "The Fest! I'm so excited that you agreed to go with me Tigress. I honestly didn't think you would go!"

"Yes, me too," She replied glaring at a smiling me.

"You see, Po. Tigress needs to figure out how to read situational things. The only way to do that is to experience things like this. Trust me, I don't like being in large groups either but I'll tell you a secret." I whispered to her. "I. suck it. up!" I grinned at her scowling face. "Come on, we have a festival to go to!"

"GRRRR!" Tigress growled lowly.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you all the way," Krystal said. "Besides, it could be fun."

"A festival of Kung Fu GEEKS that all are overly excited to see one of the warriors of the Jade Palace AND they all act like Po? Sure," She muttered. So we made our way down the mountain and to the festival. The number of rabbits, bunnies, goats, pigs, and deer that were here really alarmed me. By the time we got there, Po was already enmeshed into the mass. As though Krystal read my mind, she started to look for Po. I knew it would take some time. Though Po is a huge giant panda, he can be lost fairly easily. I chuckled as she started to call for Po. I looked over to Tigress. She wasn't the happiest person there. "Lighten up! What's the difference in one day? Besides, Po's really happy, if we could find him," I muttered. A bunny fan was standing next to us and looked at us, rather Tigress, with worship in his eyes.

"Um...Hi," Tigress said raising her hand up slightly. The bunny just continued to stare at her.

"Sign my heart," He said in a creepy whisper. I quickly move Tigress and me to a...safer location.

"Okay, so maybe people here aren't very...calm about their appreciation of you, but isn't good to get some good approval and appreciation?"

"I get that enough from Po," She rolled her eyes. I sighed. There was no winning with her.

"Hey, to be honest, I'm kind of like these guys," I said. Tigress looked me weirdly in the eye. "Hey don't be so surprised. When it comes to technology, I do get kind of giddy. HEHEHEHEHE!" I laughed. Tigress stepped back a bit. "The point is that we all have our strange quirks that make us special." I could see out of the corner of my eye that Krystal and Po were riding on a crowd wave. Well...Krystal was. Po was trying to, but I think the crowd understood how heavy he was.

"What's your point, Lion? Why do I have to do this?"

"Tigress, I've learned that you can have more flexibility and more fun being outside of your comfort zone...responsibly anyways." Tigress looked confused. "Not everything permissible is beneficial. Like I don't recommend you to drink under any circumstances. But this is good for you. Who knows you'll probably see a side of Po you've never seen before." Tigress rolled her eyes. Just then, a dog in a dark red robe came towards us. His ears were pointed at the end, he had brown fur, his snout was pointed also, and his eyes were gray. His stature was lanky, probably about late teens. He was about my height. But he had a shy atmosphere on him. The dirty clothes made me think he was just another person at the fest.

"Excuse me," He said kindly yet nervously,"Are you Master Tigress?"

"Yes," She replied simply. The dog bowed.

"I am Lee. It is a pleasure to meet you. I've always wanted to meet the leader of the Jade Palace." Tigress smirked, but I could tell she was a little impressed.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," She smirked.

"Of course, I didn't want to give you the wrong idea," Lee apologized.

"That accent, you're not from around here are you," I asked.

"No, my home is pretty far away. I came here for the festival though I don't want to attract much attention," He replied.

"Who are you here with," I asked.

"My wife and another person." This surprised both Tigress and me. "Is that the Dragon Warrior?" We both nodded. Then an idea came into mine.

"You can personally see him," I said with a bright smile.

"Uh no, that look on your face is never good," Tigress observed. Before anyone could say anything, I rushed over to the center, where the crowd was, and got everyone's attention as they quiet down. They also put Krystal down.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for us to have the Kung Fu Fan Festival Battle. This time, it is swordplay." Everyone cheered. "Now we will choose people at random." I quickly pointed to Po and Lee. Lee looked like a newborn baby with BIG eyes. As the crowd dragged him into the circle with Po, the two were presented with wooden play swords. "Rules are simple. The person who defeats the other wins. Now Fight!"

"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!" Exclaimed the crowd. I snuck back to where Tigress was. I could see that Krystal was with her.

"Why on earth did you do that, Lion," Krystal asked me with a scowling face.

"I think I know who this is. If I'm right, he's another legend. Krystal, while they're fighting, look for a prawn and a tan orangish cat about 5'9"." She nodded and went her way. Meanwhile, Tigress was entranced by the way Po and Lee were fighting. Lee swung his sword down on Po. Po blocked the strike and pushed him back. To be quite honest, you would have to be here to understand it. I was never good with describing fights. Po swung his sword at his torso. Lee jumped back and thrust his sword. Po dodged out of the way.

"Parry, parry, thrust, thrust," Po said as Lee did each move. Po parried back. "Good!"

"I didn't think Po was so good at the sword," Tigress observed.

"I think Po's part of a legend. Just let this play out," I said to her.

"You're very good," Lee grunted as he dodged a near miss. "A lot of your swordsmen styles follow some of the samurai ways of Japan."

"Yeah, well. I've never been to Japan, but I've been sword fighting for a long time." Po said as he lunged forward. He did a shoulder roll and popped back up. Po swung from the left side, but they were caught in a stalemate, each trying to push the other back. "You're not bad yourself."

"I've had some formal practice," Lee said proudly. He managed to duck underneath Po. They slowly paced around each other with ready swords. "Though, I don't think it will do me any good against someone like you." Just then Krystal came back with a the tan orangish cat and the prawn. Tigress recognized the prawn.

"Master Yijiro?!" She said surprised. She quickly composed herself as she bowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same, but knowing Po-san, I believe we're here for the same reasons," The prawn replied. I could tell Tigress was still giddy around Yijiro. I guess Demi also gave me the ability to see tigers blush.

"And who is this," I asked.

"This is Mai," Yijiro said. Before he could say anything more, I bowed.

"It is an honor to see you, Milady," I respectfully replied. "I think your husband has found his match."

"How do you know that he's my husband," She asked. I smiled knowingly.

"I know a lot about you and your husband, Lady Samurai." She and Yijiro gasped. Suddenly, a bunch of oxen burst through the festival paper walls. The crowd was in a panic. Yijiro and Mai quickly surrounded Lee, who had stopped his fight with Po. Yijiro gave him his swords.

"It's Temuti's men!" Tigress shouted.

"They've come for Master Lee," Yijiro said. I saw a blacksmith shop within one of the vendors. I quickly raided the place, found two swords, and rushed back, giving Po one of the swords.

"Now to put those sword skills to use," I instructed. We charged at the horde of oxen. I had always been a hard hitting swordsmen so with my extra strength, the oxen didn't stand a chance.

"You know," Lee told Po as they fought the oxen together. "You never explained how you trained." He cut the spear of one ox in half straight down the middle.

"Well, (grunt) I use to play with some of my friends. When they started complaining about how hard I would strike them, they stopped playing with me," Po explained as he parried the oncoming ox's strike and kicked him back. "But I kept playing with my play swords. My friends said I was so good. (HIYA!) They named me-"

"Don't tell me," I interrupted as I jumped over an ox, cut his armor in half, and left him half naked, running for his mommy, "They called you Zaber."

"Yeah, how did you know," he asked. I swung right through the armor of the last oxen.

"Lucky guess," I muttered, sheathing the sword in its case. "Looks like Krystal and Tigress are holding out pretty well." Po saw them working as a ferocious team, twin kicking the big oxen away. When all of them were finally done with, we all gathered together.

"Looks like they scared away most of the fans," Yijiro observed, "I didn't know that you were so knowledgeable in the arts of the samurai at such a young age, Po-san." Po rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well, it was just child's play," He replied.

"So the better question is why the emperor and empress of Japan are in China at a Kung Fu Fan Festival full of...Genuinely Enthusiastic Enjoyers of Knowledges," I said carefully. Po thought about it.

"Doesn't that just spell out gOW" I punched him in the ribs.

"Well," Mai looked at Lee straight in the eye. He shrunk a little. "Lee here is a geek as well." I smiled.

"There's nothing wrong with being excited over some of this stuff. Just...try to keep it in a healthy margin," I replied.

"Thank you so much for helping us, Mr.-"

"Lion," I replied to Yijiro.

"If there is anything at all we can do to repay the favor," Lee said. I remembered something.

"Actually, do you know Leo, the Demon Fighter?" I asked. Mai and Lee nodded. "Bring him to the Jade Palace when you come here. I would like to meet him." They looked uneasily at each other.

"What's the matter," Krystal questioned, noticing their unease.

"It's just that-"

"Don't worry," I interrupted, "I'll make sure Krystal and Tigress are on their best behavior AND that they understand." The couple looked a little relieved.

"Until we meet again then," Yijiro bowed, ready to leave. As they left, Krystal and Tigress cast hard looks at me.

"Now before you say anything, let me explained," I defended as we went back to the Jade Palace. "Leo is the Demon Fighter."

"The one that is said to break people in two just by looking at them," Po finished excitedly. I nodded.

"Yes, but he's very shy when you get to know him. He also has had...bad experiences with tigers." They looked at me with curiosity laced in their faces. "His parents were killed by a tiger."

"No," Krystal gasped quietly. I exhaled through my nose. Tigress had her mouth slightly open in shock. Po's sad expression was apparent.

"Ever since then...he's been afraid of tigers."

"Then why would you bring him to a place with two of them," Po asked.

"Because" I paused for a moment, "He may know Tigress's parents." Everyone was silent. "I'm not sure if he does, and if he does, we must give him time to tell us. He is fragile. Be patient Tigress." I gave a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's go to the palace." As we ascended the steps, I smirked at Tigress. "At least, you can't say the festival was boring," I smiled cockily. Tigress only glared at me for a while, then scoffed a smirk.

"You had no idea this would happen," Tigress replied.

"Your point," I came back. She just shook her head.

"Thanks," She quietly smiled.

* * *

"So how does this Leo person know where Tigress' parents are," Krystal asked when we were in the room alone.

"Leo is another character that I drew up," I answered.

"You drew him without parents," she said upset. I threw my hands up in defense.

"I didn't think these things would come alive, Krystal. If I did, I would have been more careful about how I wrote these things. I'm sorry." Krystal still seemed upset. "Look, you know me well enough to know that if I could change things I would." She was still upset. "Why are you upset?" She sat down on the bed and looked at the ground for a while.

"Why didn't you write about my parents? Why didn't you save them?" She asked quietly. I felt immensely guilty. I rose up from the bed and mindlessly walked around the room. What could I tell her that she would understand? I just sighed. The truth she would understand.

"I...never did," I said. Krystal looked at me quizzically. "The story where we are together we actually are six hundred years old. Your parents died because of a war in my kingdom. But that never happened so I didn't have any control over that. I never wrote your family or Mistress Jun. Though, I wish I could've so I could prevent it." My back sagged as I stared sadly at the floor. Krystal hugged me, surprising me.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of something you didn't do. I didn't mean to make you feel bad," She apologized. I was still upset about it. _No, you can't be sad about it. She's right. You had no idea about it. It was an innocent thing. You can't let her be responsible for your emotions,_ I thought to myself. I hugged her back. "Besides, I think it was for the best. I wouldn't have met Mistress Jun and I wouldn't have met you," She said looking at me with a smile. I smiled back.

After that, I wrote all of these things in my journal.

 **to be continued.**

* * *

 **Author's question: Can someone please explain what the "fourth wall" is?**


	12. Arrows of Emotion

Arrows of Emotions

* * *

It would be a while for Lee and Mai to come to the Jade Palace. I would have to make sure that everything was prepared. I was sweeping the floors of the Jade Palace (the Hall of Heroes, rather) as is one of my jobs. Then Master Shifu came inside with the Furious Five, Krystal, and Po. "That is okay, Master Lion. The place looks very nice," Shifu said. I bowed as he left me with the others. They all stood quietly there.

"Okay, why are you all here," I asked.

"Well, we were wondering if you could tell us another legend," Po said excitedly. I looked at everyone.

"Is this the same for all of you," I asked. They all nodded. Just then, Zeng came in dusting the ancient relics of the hall. "Fine, I will tell you about the tale of Dead Shot Duck." I saw in the corner of my eye that Zeng's head popped up. "Listen closely as I tell you the tale." They all sat down and Zeng continued dusting...the same item. "It was years ago in the Emperor Yao's army. There were seven fine men that were the best of the best. One of them was an extraordinary archer. His real name is not known, but he was the best long-range, short-range, hand-to-hand combat fighter. It was said that he could shoot a fly from 100 yards away without killing it. He was one of the best assassins ever. His arrows never missed. It was believed that he could never run out of weapons." I heard Zeng scoffing in the background. "He and the rest of his crew were the Emperor's best men. His reputation was legendary, but it did get him in some trouble. His partners grew increasingly jealous of his praise and appreciation from the crowd, even though they've been saved by Dead Shot Duck many times. Their jealousy grew into a violent head when they decided to kill Dead Shot Duck's wife of just five months. They decided to burn her alive in the house they lived in. Dead Shot was supposed to be on a mission, but it was cancelled. So when he got to the house, he was just in time to see it start to burn. He rushed inside to get his wife out of the burning house. She was tied up and gagged when he found her. When they were both outside, Dead Shot's wife told him who did it. In a vengeful rage, Dead Shot killed and assassinated all of the six other partners. Ever since then, he has gone by the nickname Dead Shot Duck. He wears a black eye mask, black painted straw hat, and a black plain outfit. Some look at him as an outlaw, others look at him as a hero. Whatever the case, he is simply known as Dead Shot Duck." They all sat with amazed and marveled looks.

"The legend is wrong," Zeng said ominously. This brought everyone's attention to him as he came to us. "They did try to burn down the house and they did try to kill the wife. But the partners saw him get out with his wife. Before..." Zeng stopped for a moment shivering at the thought. "By the time he found them, they had already committed suicide." The room was silent. "If the wife had told the Emperor, it would be a shameful sentence. They didn't want to lose their title, so they gave up their lives." Everyone had shocked and horrified faces. I was genuinely surprised. I never really dove into the origin of Dead Shot Duck, but this was heartbreaking. These were some of Dead Shot's best friends, and now they were gone. "I guess the real lesson is...excellence has a price," Zeng finished.

"Wow," Po said silently, "I never saw it like that." He sat the rest of the time in quiet thinking. I clapped my hands.

"Well, thanks Zeng for that clarification. Now go, everyone. I need to make sure everything is in place before I do my next chore." As they others filed out, I turned to Zeng, who was still dusting the item. I think it was a vase or something. I walked up to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," I said softly.

"What do you mean," He asked not looking me in the eye.

"Zeng, I know that you're Dead Shot Duck," I stated bluntly. He looked at me with a smirk. It was weird. I've never SEEN Zeng smirk cockily.

"So is that why you've been trying to kill me with those arrows you keep _missing_? For a Lion Warrior, you don't have very good aim."

"Okay, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to try and kill you. I was just wondering if you were really Dead Shot. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," I winked. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"It doesn't really matter. First, they probably won't believe you. Second, I've hid the secret so long that it really doesn't matter. My fighting and shooting have bound to be lost over the years."

"It hasn't been that long, has it?"

"In that story, it would be twenty years today that it happened. I was 23 at the time."

"Wait! You're forty! Man, you're old! "

"Hey, hey, hey! I can still kill you. Don't think that since you're the Lion Warrior I can't put an arrow right between your eyes," He shot back, poking my forehead with his winged finger. I laughed.

"Well, I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"It's okay."

"Could you teach me some of your bow and arrow techniques," I asked, pleading.

"What? You want to be able to kill Tigress if the need arises," He asked rolling his eyes. "Just keep your eyes on the target, take the shot, and trust yourself."

"Really? That's all you got?"

"That's all you're getting," He said. "Now, don't you have another chore?" I grumbled, but I soon left. I wrote him with a bit too much smart-aleck-ness. Not that I didn't like it. It was funny.

The rest of the day didn't go out with much to write about. However, I got into a conversation with the Furious Five and Po at lunch. Out of the blue, I'll get these conversation topics. This time was no different. "It is okay to show emotions," I said in the silence. The others looked at each other with bewildered looks and unknowing shrugs.

"O...kay," Po answered slowly.

"Emotions are what they maybe. It is good to be able to control these emotions. One shouldn't openly express certain emotions at certain times. There are basic emotions: Anger, sadness, excitement, gladness, fear, and infatuation. These emotions will come and they will go. The important thing is that we must control how they affect us and the people around us. No one MAKES us angry or glad. We choose to do so." I paused for a moment before I got up and started walking around. "That's not to say that we should just deny our feelings and emotions. We must control our emotions, not act as if we don't have any. If we do, we will often have feelings of grief, of sadness, we will be angered easily, and we will not be able to help people where they need it the most. Which is of the heart. People don't need just physical help, they need emotional and mental help. However, there are benefits to keeping one's guard up. You're hurt less, no one takes advantage of you, and you're free of attachments."

"So you're saying it's good to deny having emotions," Tigress said, showing agreement. I shook my head.

"Putting up this guard also can hurt those who truly care, who would never take advantage of you and if there are no attachments, then there is no bond and the individual is just that, single lone person to rely on no one when he or she is down. Yes, there is a vulnerability to lowering one's guard, but it is this lowering that allows for a psycho- I mean...a mental bond, an emotional bond, a closer bond. And until that happens, friends and family have no ties." I sat down, drank some water, growled, clearing my throat. "Sorry about that lecture. I sometimes get like that."

"Is it some kind of condition," Viper asked.

"Not one that I want to fix," I replied. "Is not everything I say true?" Everyone nodded, even Tigress who nodded quite reluctantly. "Well, I'm off to bed."

"Wait," Po stopped me. "So, what do we do about it?" That was a weird question. First, I was expecting something like that from Tigress. Second, which was my answer to him,

"What can be done? It is to each individual to decide who to let in and who to keep out. Time is the best way to figure out the true motives of any person." They were all silent. "I'm out." So I went to my room, where Krystal was sleeping on the mat. I smiled. It was always nice to see her so peaceful. I readied myself to bed and went to sleep on the floor, only to be rudely awakened by Krystal who tackled me down. "KRYSTAL!" I exclaimed. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I don't know, it's fun!" She said brightly. I shook my head. "Oh come on don't tell me you don't enjoy it," She smirked. I grumbled lowly. She was right, I didn't necessarily dislike her playfulness. And I did begin to like the...physical closeness it brought us. I just wish I could get used to the roughness of her tackling me.

"I do like it," I answered, "But my bones aren't going to last if you keep stalking me like prey." She looked at me quizzically.

"You mean 'pray'? Like prayer?"

"No, I mean like...wait, you guys here don't have a predator/prey complex, do you?"

"No, not that I would know what that means. Is this something on your world," Krystal asked excitedly.

"Yes, but I don't think you'll like it. In my world, bigger animals eat smaller animals. The ones that eat the others are the predators and the ones being eaten or chased are the prey."

"That's horrible," she said horrified.

"Well, yeah. I guess it really is. But they have to eat," I said.

"But why don't they just eat grass or plants like we do?" I shook my head.

"There are some that do but most are carnivores and they work on instincts," I explained. Krystal looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Don't worry, prey gets away sometimes to live another day. But they don't reason like you and I do."

"I guess that's something that you'd have to get used to, huh?" I shrugged. Then I thought of something.

"Krystal? Do you like being this close to me? Is that why you like pouncing on me," I asked. She looked immensely embarrassed as she got off of me and stood up.

"Um...kind of, I guess. You're just...I guess you have an attractive personality, hehe," She laughed nervously. I smiled.

"Don't be embarrassed. I like being close to you, too. After all, you are my wife, right? Not that it's been a pleasure really." She started to weakly kick me on the ground while I was laughing. "I'm kidding!" I said as I stood up. "I like having you around. I like having someone to talk to about these things. Thanks."

"You're welcome," She smirked. I went over to the desk and wrote everything that happened in the book. "What would happen if the others saw that book," Krystal asked. I scratched my thick mane.

"It wouldn't matter. I've written this thing in Eng- I mean my world's language. They would have to ask me about it before they could understand it." I looked at her with a mistrustful look. "Why do you ask?" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to show anyone. It's pointless now." I was still cautious until I went to bed. Benjamin Franklin was right about marriage. 'Keep both eyes open while courting and one eye half open while married.' I'm, of course, paraphrasing here.

 **to be continued.**


	13. Love Be a Strange Ting

Love Be a Strange Ting

* * *

I woke up before the sunrise. I never did get enough sleep back home. It was just my pattern. I woke up from the mat on the floor, looking at Krystal. She was still sleeping. I got up and went to the kitchen. I didn't know exactly what time it was, but from the way things sounded outside, it couldn't be long until sunrise. I went to the kitchen, got some water to drink, and sat there for a while alone in thought. This is my most dangerous time. When I have nothing to do but think, I often start thinking bad things or become pessimistic. Fortunately, someone came into the kitchen to halt my thought process. Krystal. "What are you doing up so early," She asked.

"I don't know. My body just wakes me up when it wants," I yawned. "Why are you up?"

"Same reason," She replied, taking a seat next to me. "What are you thinking of?"

"Many things, though I don't like doing it."

"Why?"

"I often get moody or down when I start to think for long periods of time." We were silent for about seven seconds.

"Is it possible for me to go with you when you go back home," asked Krystal.

"That has come up in my thinking. I don't know if Demi would allow that to happen. I think he would. It would make sense for him to marry us if he was going to break us apart," I thought reasonably. Then I became a little more cheerful. "And if that happens, in my world we can get a divorce." I expected her to be excited to the fact she didn't have to be with me against her will. She looked at me with a shocked and saddened look.

"Wh...why? Why would you want that?"

"Well...I mean don't you want to be with someone else or have the freedom to choose who you marry," I asked. Then she punched me. "OW! What was that for?"

"For thinking I didn't have a choice," She remarked. I was confused. "Lion, before we met, Mistress Jun told me everything about Demi and that I was going to help you. But she ASKED me if I was willing to marry a man I didn't know and trust her so that I would help him and he would care for me. I WILLINGLY went along with it." That blew my mind.

"So," I was speechless for a while. "So, you wanted to marry me?" She nodded and then hugged me.

"And I've never regretted that decision," She said sweetly. I was near to tears. "Lion, are you crying?" I wiped some of the moisture from my eyes.

"I...I'm just touched that you would be okay with that," I said. My voice was a little shaky. She hugged me with a smile. I coughed to get rid of the shakiness. "But that doesn't help with HOW you're going back with me. If I'll be able to go at all," I said a bit sad. She hugged me tighter. I smiled. "At least, I have people around me that make the stay easier."

It was a little while before people started coming in the kitchen, and Krystal and I had been silent for the most part. It wasn't until everyone was there that I realized that Po and Tigress weren't there. Krystal noticed this too. "Where are Po and Tigress," She asked.

"I saw Tigress in the Training Hall. Maybe Po's at the shop or in the village," Master Shifu said. I made a movement with my head for Krystal to follow me. We went to the Training hall to see Tigress. Po was with her, sparring. However, we were just in time to see something happen. As Tigress was making a sweeping move for Po's legs, Po fell and took Tigress with him. So there they were on each other, looking each square in the eye. I waited for them to jump off of each other. One second passed, then two, then three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twenty. It was after thirty seconds (And that's a while for someone to REACT) that I made a sound, getting their attention. Their wide eyes just looked at Krystal and me as they jumped clear of each other. I started to walk away as they chased after me.

"It was a simple mistake! I know what it looks like but! It was my fault I didn't mean to! We can explain! You see what had happened was!" They both said at one time.

"GUYS," I exclaimed, "It's fine. I know what happened. I saw it. You guys slipped and just fell on each other. Simple as that. Nothing to infer or conclude or make assumptions on. You guys just tripped." They looked at each other then they looked away from each other.

"Right," they both said.

"Good, now excuse me, I have something to take care of," I said, leaving them. I went to my room and wrote everything in my book. Then I heard the door shut behind me. Krystal had the biggest, most excited grin on her face and she was bouncy and looked like she was about to jump into the air. I shook my head. "An accidental fall won't amount to anything. You and I both know that." She looked at me with a scowled look.

"You're just so pessimistic!"

"I'm not. I'm just realistic," I explained. "But it is significant that they stayed like that for so long." I shook it from my head. "It maybe just me and wishful thinking."

"I hope not," Krystal said, taking a seat on the bed. "I want them to be together." I looked at her with a bewildered look.

"You thought that they couldn't be together a while ago."

"Yes, but they would be a great couple if they were together."

"I hope. I'd hate to get these guys together and then have them fight every day," I sighed. Then a pillow was thrown at my head. "Hey!"

"That was for being pessimistic again," Krystal said with a cheeky smile. I smirked as I threw the pillow back. "Think positive! You'll figure out some way to get them together."

"Or maybe you will," I replied. I continued to write what was in the journal. I casually looked at the mat to see Krystal had gone to sleep. I guess some time went by because then another person was in the room.

"What are you writing?"

"AHAHAA!" I jumped into a fighting stance. Tigress was in the room. My yell woke Krystal up. I panted, catching my breath. "What?"

"What are you writing," She asked again. It took me a while to try to figure out what to say.

"It's a...my journal," I said. She was about to look at. I quickly stole it out of her reach. "May I ask why you're so curious about it?"

"I was just curious. I came inside and saw you writing inside your journal."

"That still doesn't explain why you're in here," I repeated. She nervously coughed.

"I was just making sure that you understood what happened...with Po and me," She said quietly. Both Krystal and I groaned.

"Tigress, stop making a big deal about this," Krystal said, "It was an accident. You two were just being Klutzes."

"Yeah, I guess," Tigress recovered. "So can I see the journal?" I wasn't as protective with the book with her. The book was written in English so I wasn't really worried as I gave her the book. She opened the journal and just as I expected, she couldn't understand it until Krystal popped up.

"I can't read it," Tigress said.

"Let me see," Krystal offered, taking the book. I expected the same thing, only Krystal could read it. "' _I am a human. I want to clean that up so there is no confusion. Being around 19 years of age, life was a little challenging for me, like everyone. There is one thing that makes me different. I don't like being human, but who doesn't. What really makes me unique is that I don't understand human interactions and society. For example, why humans demand privacy yet post and broadcast everything private to everyone and their enemy to see. Also, why people get offended when you're truthful, both men and women. So you see, I'm an awkward person. Being of black skin in the United States of America, I'm not like most people. I have a laughable personality and I talk a lot, which is weird because I'm a kind of introvert though I can speak in front of people just fine. However, with LIFE becoming more hectic as I mature, I've become more introverted, self-conscious, and aware of the time I'm alone._ ' Huh, what is the 'United States of America'," Krystal asked at the end. I was too amazed to respond immediately.

"Um...It's...it's where I came from," I managed to say. "How is it that you can read that?"

"Oh, well, one time there was a merchant that came all the way from a place named England. He had come from some...oh what did he call it! Crusades! Yeah, that's it! Then he became a merchant, came to where we were, stayed a little while, and taught me a thing or two. Your writing is much simpler than his so I can understand most of it." My mouth just stayed open.

"I'm starting to like you more and more," I said.

"Why?" Tigress and Krystal asked.

"Because you keep surprising me with some new thing I didn't know about you," I smiled.

"So, what is this place like and what did you mean by 'being of black skin.'," Tigress asked. I sat down in my chair while I explained my world to them.

"Well, like I said I come from another world where I'm a human. Humans come in different skin tones."

"Really? Wow, they must be every kind of color," Krystal marveled.

"Eh, mostly everyone is a shade of brown or tan or tinted white."

"Really? Wow, that's boring," Krystal said plainly. Tigress and I laughed.

"Well, it can seem that way," I smiled. "But that's the world I live in."

"Is it true that they use high-quality make-up in your world," Krystal asked. I thought about it.

"Yes, but most don't use their natural beauty as you two," I said. Krystal blushed a bit while Tigress smirked.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said.

"Oh sure, and flattery didn't get Lee, the Emperor of Japan anywhere with you," I countered. They laughed for a while, but Tigress's smirk fell after a while. "I know what you're thinking. Cheer up! You'll learn more about yourself soon."

"Isn't there anything you can tell me," Tigress asked. I sighed. I could, but I wasn't sure if I would be right. I shook my head. "Can you, at least, tell me why my parents left me at the orphanage?"

"They didn't mean to. They wanted more than anything to keep you. But there was something going on in their country that would have put you in danger. They put you in the orphanage to protect you. That much I know for sure," I said. Tigress smiled. I smirked at her.

"What," She asked.

"I always like seeing you smile. It's one of the best looks you have. I know Po really appreciates seeing it," I smiled. Tigress looked away, but I could tell her cheeks were a little flushed.

"You know you're married to ME, right," Krystal butted in. I couldn't help but laugh.

"No need to remind me, dear, I remember," I said.

"So when are you planning to have children," Tigress asked so inopportunely.

"Um..."

"WHAT!" Krystal exclaimed.

"Well, it's normal for married couples to have children, correct," Tigress added.

"Tigress, you know that we've been...kind of pushed into this. We're just taking our time," I said calmly.

"Yeah, we're not having a child Now or anytime SOON!" Krystal exclaimed. I could see she was animated about childbirth.

"Now, if you're done investigating us, please take your precious tail and leave," I joked. Tigress smirked as she went out of our room. Krystal went to her mat and groaned into her pillow. "I guess you don't like children?"

"No, it's not that. The thought of having children now just...freaks me out," She said huddling her knees together. I sat next to her and rested my arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry. Since you willingly went into this, I won't do anything that would hurt you on purpose."

"On purpose?"

"I won't lie that I may do something stupid that will hurt you accidentally. That's what scares me most about marriage. But know that I don't mean to do it on purpose. Tell me what troubles you and I will try to do my best to not do it," I said. She smiled and rested her head on my chest. I was getting goosebumps about it to tell the truth.

"Thanks, Lion," She said as she lifted her head off of me.

"You're welcome," I replied. I wrote everything in the book.

"I don't think it's safe to write things in there since I can read them," Krystal cheekily said.

"No worries, I'll just put embarrassing stuff about you in here to prevent that," I smiled evilly. She just glared at me.

"Good one," She remarked throwing the pillow at me again. I just laughed.

 **to be continued.**

 **Sorry for the mix up**


	14. When the Truth Comes

When Truth Comes

* * *

"Why are you so nervous, Po," I asked the shaking panda. "It's only push-ups."

"That's not why I'm nervous," Po grunted as he did another push-up. I made him stop.

"Then why are you so nervous." Po was quiet for a while.

"Well, you know the Emperor and Empress are coming to the Jade Palace with the Demon Fighter, Leo, right?" I nodded. "And you know how Leo knows some things about Tigress's past and family, right?"

"Po, will you just get to the point," I said.

"What if," Po paused, "What if Tigress wants to leave us to see her family? I know we don't have any right to stop her from doing so, but..." He stopped mid-sentence. I guessed it would be for the better.

"You're afraid of her leaving forever," I asked. He nodded.

"I know I shouldn't be and I know I shouldn't get in her way of finding out her past. I know that I wouldn't want anyone getting in the way of finding my true family," Po said. Ah, so I was in the era BEFORE Kung Fu Panda 3. "I just...I'm just worried of never seeing her again."

"Why?" I asked. Po looked at me. "No, I'm not questioning any feelings or emotions. I just want to know the real reason." Po was silent for a while.

"I don't want her to go," Po said quietly.

"I won't," Tigress said from behind us. I spun around to see the female tiger standing there with her arms crossed, but she had a gentle smile on her face. Po glared at me.

"I thought you could sense people," He remarked.

"Oh hush! I was busy talking to you," I shot back. Before Po could blame me again, Tigress approached him.

"Don't worry Po," She assured him, "No matter what this Leo says, I will not leave the Jade Palace. This is my home." I did a little laugh. "What," Tigress glared at me.

"Nothing, I didn't think you could be sentimental. I don't mean to tease, but it's surprising," I replied. Then I something hit me. "Zeng's coming," I said.

"Oh, now you can sense people," Po remarked. I playfully stuck my tongue out. The little duck came in with a smirk on his face.

"Okay, why do you have that look on you," I asked him.

"You said this Leo person was afraid of tigers," Zeng stated.

"Yes," I said. Then the idea occurred to me. "Oh!" I ran out of the Training Hall and went to the Hall of Heroes. There I could see the rest of the Furious Five, Shifu, Krystal, and Lee and Mai with Leo. The five-foot rat was bigger than I thought. Then again, a five-foot rat is bigger than many other rats. He looked approximately 5'7", about Krystal's height. Tigress, Zeng, and Po came after me. I could see Leo with another person. It was a female tiger, a bit shorter than him. I didn't realize who this was, who was standing so close to Leo. When Master Shifu saw me, he explained.

"Ah, Master Lion, it's good of you to join us. This is Emperor Lee and Empress Mai as you have met before. This is Leo the Demon Fighter and his wife, Princess Miwa." It finally dawned on me as I bowed.

"Princess Miwa," I said, "Yes, I remember you. You're the daughter of Tiger, aren't you?" Miwa was shocked.

"How did you know," she asked.

"Lady Miwa, this is Lion, the Lion Warrior," Shifu explained.

"At your service," I presented myself.

"He seems to know a lot about you guys," Monkey added.

"Well, not everything," I muttered. "Anyways, you must be Leo then." Leo bowed. "It is good to meet you. You're a lot taller than I thought you were."

"Everybody says that," Leo sighed. Tigress slowly came up from the back. Leo looked at her and jumped back. Miwa held him steady.

"I...I don't mean to scare you," Tigress slowly said.

"How come you weren't scared of Krystal," I asked.

"Honey, are you okay? You haven't been scared of tigers since you married me," Miwa mentioned. Then Leo came closer to Tigress to examine her.

"You're the spitting image of Tigra," Leo said softly.

"You mean Tigress's mother is still alive," I asked.

"Oh yes."

"Oh no!"

"I know," Leo muttered. Miwa elbowed him in the ribs.

"Why is that a bad thing," Tigress asked.

"You see, Tigress, now that Leo's here, he can back me up on a lot of things I'm about to tell you. Your father is Qiang and your mother is Tigra, right?" Leo nodded in agreement. "Now, Qiang is quiet and stern, that's where you get your...emotional control. Tigra, on the other hand, is a vicious, crazy, former assassin who has been known to cook people alive for dinner and feast on their entrails."

"My grandmother is not that vicious," Miwa protested.

"Oh really? Did she not threaten to pluck out Leo's tail, rip out his claws from their sockets, use them as writing materials, and whip him with his own tail JUST for his tail accidentally brushing against her hindquarters?" Leo nodded in agreement. "That is where Tigress gets her short temper and ferocity from." Krystal pulled me close and whispered over to me.

"What kind of writing did you do?!"

"I was having an edgy spell, okay," I explained.

"Anyways," Po interrupted, "You said, grandmother. Meaning you're a relative of Tigress." Miwa and Tigress looked at each other. There were some similarities.

"You said you were the daughter of Tiger. That means your Tigress's niece," I said. Miwa's eyes widened.

"You're my aunt? My grandmother told me she had to leave her daughter at an orphanage because of the civil war that happened in our kingdom."

"Then they kept my brother," Tigress asked.

"No, my father grew up in an orphanage too, but he helped stop the civil war, find my grandparents, and now my father's the ruler of the place," Miwa explained. I quickly told Po something. He nodded and whispered it down the line as I said,

"So, why don't Master Leo, Miwa, and Tigress go to the courtyard and talk while Lee and Mai show Po some moves. I know he's been dying to know how to do half the things you do." I could see that Mai was slightly uncomfortable with Po, but that was normal. "By the way, where is Yijiro?"

"He had to fight off some bandits at another village," Lee said. I looked to Tigress to see any reaction, but she had already left with Miwa and Leo. As Po, Mai, and Lee went away, I had the others stay before I went away.

"Why did you tell Po to tell us not to ask about Miwa's or Leo's parents," Viper asked curiously.

"After Tiger won the civil war, his wife, Miwa's mother, was killed by sympathetic rebels. Leo's parents were both killed by a tiger which is why he was afraid of tigers before. But I forgot that he was married to Miwa."

"How did they get married if he was afraid of tigers," Mantis asked.

"Love has a funny way of suppressing fears," I replied. With that, I left them. I quickly went to my journal to record the event.

"Hey," said a soft voice. I looked behind me to see Krystal in the doorway.

"Hey, I thought you would be with Tigress and 'em," I said as I continued writing.

"I was, but I didn't think it was really for me. It was more for Tigress," Krystal said, a little bored. I shrugged. "Why is Leo so tall?"

"Because he's half tiger."

"Really! Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I didn't think it was something that would come up," I replied. Krystal looked like she continued to think. "That's why he has sharper claws than normal rats and why he has sharp teeth. Also, when he goes 'demon', his eyes change like feline ones."

"Oh that's interesting," Krystal said absentmindedly.

"What's on your mind? You seem restless," I observed. She stretched her arms out and sighed.

"Nothing I just wanted to know something."

"What's that," I asked as I continued writing.

"Why did you write this stuff," She asked. I stopped writing to look at her. "I mean, why would you spend so much of your time just...writing things that never had a chance of coming true? It's kind of bordering denial and just fantasy." I looked at her, got up, took her pillow from beneath her, and hit her with it. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Because I wanted to. And I wanted to do this," I gently tickled the side of her neck. Usually, I would do this with my little nieces or children I was babysitting, but I was trying to prove a point.

"HAHAHA Stop!" She laughed. I noticed her sandals were off. I quickly went down to her feet and tickled her senseless. She was hysterical. Then I stopped. "Why (Pant) Why did you do that?"

"Did it feel good," I asked.

"It was...okay," Krystal said, trying to seem unimpressed. I presented my fingers in a scary way to her. "Okay, I liked it! It was good!"

"Krystal, there are some things that we do that we love to do. I love to write. You love to pounce on me," I said poking her in the tummy as she giggled. "Tigress loves to train, Po loves to eat, everyone has something that is a favorite hobby to them. Though it never accomplishes anything to promote the status of a person in the real world, it's nice to dream."

"I guess you're right," Krystal said. "How many stories did you write?"

"About 44," I said. Her face fell.

"Don't you think that's a bit too much dreaming," Krystal asked.

"No, there are many who have written 200," I stated.

"My Gosh!"

"Hey, don't judge a hobby." Then I remembered something. "Hey! Aren't we suppose to have a house sometime?"

"Yeah," Krystal said, sitting upright. "They'll be done with it in about two weeks." She shuddered.

"Scared of being completely alone with a guy," I asked.

"Not that, I'm just cold all of a sudden. Chills I guess," Krystal shivered. I wrapped a blanket around her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I smiled.

"YOW!" Screamed a voice.

"That can't be good," I muttered. Krystal and I rushed to the Training Hall where Lee was jumping around trying to put out the fire on his butt. I quickly sprayed him with a wave of water. He sighed from relief, but his backside clothes were charred. "What happened?" I asked.

"Well, Po did a shoulder roll off of Lee, grabbed his hand and threw him over to the fire pit, which was on by accident," Mai explained. "You are a very remarkable panda." Po smiled widely.

"Thank you. I didn't think that playing with my fake sword would actually pay off," Po replied.

"So, how is Zaber doing," I asked.

"He's doing very well," Lee said patting his butt, making sure there was no fire. "He truly is a great warrior."

"I'm glad to hear that," I nodded. It was about late in the afternoon while I was in the kitchen making food for myself when Tigress came in. "Oh, what brings you here?"

"Nothing, Lee, Leo, and the rest of them went away for the night. They're staying at their vacation getaway house near here," Tigress stated.

"So I guess you got some answers to your major questions then," I said, pouring a cup of tea for her.

"Well, yes and no," She replied as I gave her the tea. "I know now why my parents left me at the orphanage. There was a civil war in the village. I know now who my parents are. Leo explained to me that my mother was La-Ju, the greatest assassin in China and my father was the original Midnight Stranger." I chuckled. Tigress looked at me.

"No, I'm just remembering when Po disguised himself as the Midnight Stranger and how you reacted," I explained. She growled at me. "Hey, it was funny. You can't deny that. So what was it like figuring out that you had a crush on your own father?"

"I did NOT have a crush on the Midnight Stranger!" She shot back.

"Oh yeah, you putting on perfume, eager to see him, and going into daydreams about him is your usual way of greeting guys," I smirked. She looked at me, a little creep out.

"How much did you 'watch' us," She asked. I laughed.

"More than you would like to know, honey," I smiled, sipping my tea. I could tell she was a little annoyed that I called her 'honey' but I didn't really pay attention to it.

"So moving on," Tigress said. "Who do you think will marry Po now that the law is passed?" I put down my tea. It was interesting that she came up with that as a distraction.

"I...have a few people in mind. Maybe Song," I said cheekily.

"That girl that was a part of those umbrella thieves! No way!" I smirked at her, raising my eyebrow. "I mean, Po wouldn't go for someone of that character. Plus, I'm not sure if they're really more than friends."

"How do you know," I asked. She looked away. "Anyways, I'm not sure Song is even available anymore." That got Tigress to turn her head to me again. "She maybe already in a relationship with someone else. I'm not sure honestly. Maybe Lui-Shi."

"The goat girl that nearly got him killed? No. They already established that they were just friends," She said. I thought I heard some kind of pride from her.

"Okay, maybe he will go for some panda girl," I said.

"Really? You think someone out of the blue who's a female panda AND a Kung Fu Master will come and love Po on the spot? No," Tigress stated plainly. I sighed as I got up from my seat.

"Well, unless someone speaks up and confesses their love for Po, he might as well die alone," I bluntly said putting my cup in the sink.

"You mean...that's it," Tigress asked. "Po doesn't have a chance with anyone else?"

"Like I said, unless someone who is a female warrior confesses, we don't have much of an option. I mean, thanks to Peng there are more people who can do Kung Fu, but still."

"Then there is hope," She said eagerly. I looked at her.

"Why are you so concerned for Po's sake? What is it to you if he can't find love? I thought you said relationships were distractions," I stated.

"Hey! I'm not that mean," She remarked, making me jump a bit. "I...I just don't want Po to be sad about his loneliness, after all we have done to try to get him into a relationship."

"Well, I'm trying to be hopeful," I shrugged as I went out the kitchen. I saw Krystal right next the door to our room fit to burst. I assumed she had heard everything with me and Tigress. I shook my head with a smile. "You are so excitable."

"I can't help it! You heard how she was concerned, right?"

"I know, I know. Come on, you need to get your sleep."

"Aw," she said like a disappointed child. I smiled. It was fun having her around.

 **to be continued**


	15. Trust the Cat

Trust the Cat

* * *

It had been a total of nine months since I've fallen from the heavens and been here. However, at the moment, it felt like I was in heck! "Please, Krystal, try to understand." Yep, you've guessed it. Krystal and I were having our first argument. And if I learned anything from the marriage and family class I took, I was determined to settle and get through this.

"Oh, I understand. You don't trust me," She said with her arms crossed and back towards me. I sighed. I don't even remember how she and I got to this. Something about me not trusting her. But now, we had stormed out of the kitchen with Po and the Furious Five to the Training Hall. Now we were arguing in the Training Hall. "I don't even know your real name!" I knew I shouldn't have told her that.

"Listen, I'm not saying I don't trust you. I'm just saying that I'm still new here and I'm not comfortable with disclosing certain things," I explained.

"We've known each other for about eight months now!"

"I know it's hard, but you have to understand."

"How can I try to understand a person that won't trust me!?"

"Just be patient," I said trying to soothe. It only seemed to enrage.

"I've been patient for a long time!"

"That's not long enough for me, trust me."

"That's what I'm having trouble doing!" She shouted as she stormed off to our room. I sighed as I went to the room to try and apologize. I tried to open the door, but somehow it was locked. I don't know how you can lock a silk panel door, but she figured it out. I knocked.

"Krystal," I called.

"Who is it?"

"It's Lion."

"Sorry, I don't trust anyone with that name," She replied stubbornly. I groaned.

"Krystal."

"Having marital problems, are we," said Tigress with a mocking voice.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Aren't you needed to be annoying elsewhere?" I rebuffed.

"Not really, I was trying to figure out where Krystal went after what you said and now we're here," Tigress smirked.

"Why are you mocking me so," I asked sincerely. Tigress laughed and placed her hand on my shoulder for a brief while as she went away.

"You're supposed to be smart. You know what you should do yet you don't do it. I find that funny," She said as she went away. I sighed. She was right. I knocked again.

"Who is it?"

"It's Lion," I said trying to see if she had come from her side of the battlefield.

"Sorry, don't know the name." I sighed. I looked around for anyone listening. I knocked, very quietly this time. "Who is it?"

"It's John," I said. I waited a while. Then I heard the lock open up. She slowly slid the door just a peep to look at me.

"John," she asked, "your real name is John?" I nodded as I came into the room.

"It's not something I really like. My name means a gift to people. But I've never felt like a gift to anyone," I replied as I sat down on the bed. Krystal stood awkwardly from the door. She slowly made her way from the door to the bed.

"I...I like the meaning of your name. You are a gift," She said softly.

"To who," I asked. She hugged me.

"You're a gift to me," She smiled brightly.

"Look, I've...I'm really uncomfortable with talking about half the stuff I am. I know that having to wait for someone to tell you something is really anxiety-inducing, but...I'm just not there yet, you know?"

"I know, I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I was just upset that you don't trust me."

"I do. More than most people. I just...there are some things that just haven't healed. It's not a matter of trusting you. I guess...it's a matter of trusting myself." Krystal sighed, then did something really strange. She went close to my ear and said.

"Sponge." I laughed harder than I ever laughed before.

"What," I struggled after my laughing spasm. "What was that for?"

"You talk too much. You seem like you can successfully talk your way into being sad," She smirked. My face fell. She giggled as she gently pushed her side on mine. My frown turned into a smirk. I couldn't stay mad at her. It just wasn't possible for me. Just then, Tigress slid the door open to our door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there are some bandits down in the valley," Tigress said rushing down the mountain. I quickly got up.

"Sorry to be in a rush," I apologized.

"Don't worry," She smirked. "Hit a bandit for me!"

"I'll try to remember that," I smiled though it wouldn't be hard to remember. So we went down the mountain and started battling the bandits. I disappeared and reappeared behind a pig bandit and knocked him down on his face. Another came at me and I blew him away with a force of air. Po jumped right next to me, punching out a wolf bandit in the face. "These guys are a little tougher than usual," I mentioned as I breathed out a puff of fire, scaring away a bandit.

"They're not tougher," Tigress said, high-kicking a pig in the face, "There are just more of them than usual."

"Then we're in big trouble," I warned. I stomped the ground and lifted the ring of bandits that surrounded us up and out the village, but there were still more. "Now is when I would hope something out of the blue would save us."

"Gangway!" There we saw a runaway cart coming towards us. We all ducked out of the way as the cart plowed the bandits. The figure that was on top of the cart swung his sword around, cutting the weapons of the bandits in half. There was another coming behind him, but Po stopped the bandit in his tracks and punched him back. The bandits were gathering around again.

"Have you ever done the Gong's Ring Move," The stranger asked.

"You're looking at the master," Po replied. The stranger took Po, threw him up into the air, jumped and threw him back down, making a large shockwave as Po came down. Now all the bandits were gone. The ones that were left ran away. "That was awesome!"

"I know, right," The stranger said excitedly. "I didn't think you could pull it off! I mean that shockwave was off the chain."

"I know! And that strength! Man, you're strong," Po exclaimed. I shook my head. It looked like we had two Pos. But Tigress brought something to my mind. She grabbed me by the shoulder and whispered something to me.

"That's Tai-gee," She said. I looked at the stranger. Black hat, purple vest, and pants, black cape, the mask, and the sword. I could still see the engraved words. 'Master Swordsmen'. It was Tai-gee. I whispered back.

"Where is Master Shifu?"

"He's up at the Jade Palace. What do we do," She asked. I looked at her briefly. She didn't seem resentful of Tai-Lung's return. It almost looked like she had moved on. I shook it off. I couldn't be bothered with hidden meanings now. I needed to deal with visible problems. I approached the two 'brothers'.

"And who would you be," I asked him.

"My name is Tai-gee," He said with a smile. I saw Po's eyes widen. I held my smile, even though I was immensely worried.

"Well, I'm Lion, this is Tigress and this is Po the Dragon Warrior," I said. Po was silently casting daggers at me with his eyes.

"So...You're Po the Dragon Warrior," He said. I could see Po's whole demeanor seem to change to a scared little boy. Tigress and I were ready to launch at him if he tried anything. Suddenly, he hugged him, lifting him up in the air. "It's good to see you, brother!" Both my and Tigress's mouth dropped open.

"Brother," Po asked as Tai put him down.

"You and I are born in the same year of the dragon, making us sons of the dragon. So we're brothers, kinda," Tai-gee pointed out. Tigress laughed out loud. It wasn't a snorting laugh or a wheezing or strange laugh. It was a nice womanly laugh. Since Tigress has a deeper, smoother voice than most, it can sound manly sometimes, especially when she's yelling. This didn't mean that it was old news to us. Po, Tai-gee, and I were all looking at her with wide eyes and open mouths.

"I'm sorry," She said coming down from her laughing spell. "It's just...you're so much like him. You're almost exactly like Po."

"I don't know whether or not to take offense to that," Po muttered, but I was still uneasy.

"Why don't we go up to the Jade Palace? You look hungry," I said.

"I don't know if-"

"Well, I-"

"Lion do you think that's," They all said at once. I stopped them.

"Might as well start," I explained. So we went up the mountain. Well, we started up the mountain. It wasn't long before Tai-gee exhibited another characteristic of Po.

"Man, these stairs," He complained.

"I know! They need something to carry you up the mountain," Po suggested.

"Sorry boys, elevators haven't been invented yet," I muttered.

"What," They said.

"Nevermind."

"Are you sure that Tai-lung is under that mask? Doesn't it seem a little too...far fetch that he be Po#2," Tigress asked me, privately.

"Whoever is under that mask knows Po from prior experience. Enough to call him brother," I said. When we got to the Jade Palace, who should be standing there but Shifu himself and the others. "What the heck are all of you doing here," I hastily asked. There was no reason for them to be on the top step waiting.

"We heard from Zeng that there was a guest that you wanted to bring up the mountain so we were waiting," Shifu explained. I glared at the smirking duck. Suddenly, I was considering erasing Dead Shot Duck from all of my FanFics. The others I could tell recognized Tai-gee and were worried. Shifu didn't seem to notice. Tai-gee respectfully bowed.

"It is an honor to finally meet you Master Shifu of the Jade Palace," Tai-gee said. He seemed shaky. Krystal came right next to me.

"You brought him up the mountain," She whispered upset.

"I didn't think Shifu was going to be at the first step waiting for us," I replied quietly back.

"And you are," Master Shifu asked.

"His name is Tai-gee. He's one of the legends that Lion knows. He's part of the league of the Master Swordsmen," Tigress said calmly.

"He helped us fight off some of the bandits," Po added.

"Well, we appreciate your help. I'm sorry to say that I don't have enough time to fully greet and welcome you. I have to go to another masters' meeting," Shifu sighed. "Po, don't get into trouble." Po nodded as he rolled his eyes. Then he went down the mountain. As soon as he went around the curve, I worked hastily.

"Duck, you make sure Shifu LEAVES the Valley of Peace. The rest of you and Tai-gee get into the kitchen," I commanded. Everyone quickly went to work. We got to the kitchen.

"So, what's with the hubbub," Tai-gee asked. Everyone looked at each other.

"Okay, let's be blunt. We...know that you're Tai-lung," I said. I saw his eyes widened. Everyone looked at him as he slowly revealed his face. There were no scars, his demeanor was sad, worried all combined. I smiled. "Don't worry, we don't want to seek revenge." Everyone looked at Tigress.

"We don't," she reiterated. Tai-Lung was still uneasy.

"What about Baba, I mean Master Shifu," he asked. Just then, Zeng came in.

"He's gone," He simply said.

"For now, you wear the mask. That's it. You're staying here alone," I asked.

"No, my wife and child are supposed to be coming here. We were...I was coming here to try and prove that I had changed, but I wasn't sure that you would accept me. Especially Tigress," He said bluntly. Tigress rolled her eyes and smirked.

"After you acted like Po down there, I already knew you changed."

"Again, I don't know if that's an insult or not," Po murmured. Tai-Lung smiled.

"Thanks, sis," Tai-Lung said. Tigress smirked. Then it happened.

"YOW!" I screamed.

"What happened," Krystal asked. I lifted up my tail and attached to it was a little mini-Tai-gee. I plucked her off and tickled her in my arms.

"You are going to be trouble, aren't you Miracle," I smiled as the little girl giggled.

"How do you know my daughter," Tai-gee asked as he took his child back.

"He is the Lion Warrior. He knows a lot about us," Tigress explained. Tai-gee was about to bow again, but I stopped him.

"I'm just like you only I can shoot fire from my hands." Everyone laughed.

"What about Shifu," Tai-gee asked.

"We'll take care of him. Right now, we'll just make sure that your identity is secure," I said.

"Thank you," He smiled. Then I felt pain in my tail again.

"MIRACLE!" Everyone laughed.

* * *

"Are you sure that you're okay with all of this? Are WE okay," Tai-gee asked Tigress. I was nearby practicing my water bending in the Training Hall.

"Why are you really worried," Tigress asked.

"Well," Tai-gee started off, "I know what it's like to try and get someone's approval."

"Cat, don't do something that may end up me having to you save your hind tail," I said to myself. Tigress responded solemnly.

"I use to make you the center of my pain, but I...was taught that we need to move on if we're ever going to be greater warriors." Tai-gee smiled as she tightly hugged her.

"Thank you, Sis!" He exclaimed. Tigress punched him in the ribs, releasing her.

"That doesn't mean that you can do that," Tigress growled. Tai-gee sheepishly smiled. I smiled too. He was just like Po. Then I spoke up.

"Tai-gee, there are other master Swordsmen, correct?" Tai-gee nodded. "Is it okay that you bring them to us? I'm sure that your 'brother' would be delighted to see and meet them."

"Yay! That's a great idea," Tai-gee replied. "Mei-Ling has wanted to come here for ages." _I know that_ I thought to myself. "Yeah, I'll get in contact with them and talk to them."

"Good," I smiled. Then I sensed something. I quickly went for my tail and protected it from the little teeth of Miracle. "Oh no, you don't! Not this time!" She pouted as Tai-gee grabbed her from the ground.

"Why do you try so much to bite his tail, honey," he asked.

"It's so FLUFFY!" She said so excitedly and demonically. We all just laughed.

 **to be continued.**


	16. A Change of Plans

A Change of Plans

* * *

"So he's going to get the others? Great," Krystal said. We were out on the top step of the Palace steps. I gently brushed my tail. "Still sore from Miracle's bite marks," Krystal mocked.

"Don't laugh, she can go for you too," I shot back. Krystal just stuck out her tongue playfully.

"When are you guys going to move into your house," Po asked. He was there as well.

"I don't know. I honestly am in no hurry," I said.

"Why," Krystal asked. I knew that the wrong answer to this question would either put me in safe waters or with the sharks.

"Well, I've gotten comfortable with sleeping in the barracks," I said simply. That seemed to ease her. "So Po, any ideas of who you're going to marry?"

"Lion!"

"Hey, he has to start looking now." I could see Po was in deep thought. The look kinda resembles a child pouting.

"I... don't want to think about it," He said.

"Well, you have to start you know. What do you want in your mate and how do you want to become a great mate," I replied.

"I said, 'I don't want to think about it.'" He restated. Krystal gently grabbed my arm to tell me not to continue. I dropped it, but I was a little worried that he was so... aggressive about it. "So, what do you have to teach me now," He said in his usual bubbly voice. I stared at him a little. The sudden change in mood was a little... suspicious.

"Actually, I don't have anything to teach you for today. It's actually Tigress's turn but I don't know where that cat is," I said looking at Krystal. She just shrugged. Suddenly, Tigress came with one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen her with, which to be honest isn't really big at all. "Don't tell me, Yijiro's here?"

"No," She said sternly, "That's not it."

"Then why do you have that look," I asked.

"It's my turn for training, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have an idea of what I could be training for INSTEAD of social training," She said with a smile. I frowned.

"You really don't like being outside, do you?" She smirked confidently at me. "Fine, what did you have in mind?"

"I noticed yesterday that you were doing some techniques with the water. That got me thinking. You can't teach me how to control water, but you can help me use the technique as a fighting style," She explained. I thought about it.

"I've done that with the wind tunnel. So you want to continue your 'formal' training," I said. She nodded excitedly. I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but we're going to go back to the social thing." I got up and we went to the training room. "Water is one of the big elements. It pulls and pushes much like Ying and Yang. The major key of water style is making the opponent's attack your attack. Be like a reflective surface."

"But...I already know how to do this," Tigress said.

"Oh, then you're doing the social thing!" Tigress growled lowly.

"Why do you want her to become so social," Po asked as he and Krystal came in.

"Po, a good warrior knows when trouble comes before it comes. In order to do that, you must understand how people function."

"I can help with that," Po replied.

"No, I will not allow you to help her. I need her out of her comfort zone, not jumping into a fray," I remarked.

"Hey, I know what it's like not to be out-going," Po said. Krystal, Tigress, and I all looked at Po with unbelieving looks.

"Really," We said.

"I haven't always been the social out-going panda I use to be," He explained. I looked at Po suspiciously.

"Po, I ask you again. Did you have a good childhood?"

"Yes, I did," Po said annoyed.

"Po, I'm not going to do any more geeky, nerdy festivals," She said bluntly.

"I know, but I know how to slowly get someone out of their shell," Po explained.

"How," I asked.

"Well, first, Tigress has to change or fix any family ties," Po said.

"You mean, Shifu," Krystal asked. Po nodded.

"Okay, simple enough. Then what," I asked.

"Then she needs to deal with all the past troubles she had. Either with her family or trust friends or people look up to. That should help with any bad memories and will help her be more confident about herself."

"I AM confident about myself," She said sternly.

"Are you," Po bravely asked. She was silent. "I know what it's like to think nothing can shake you." Again, she was silent. "Anyways, when she's done that, she'll be able to socialize much better."

"Since when did you become the social guru," I asked.

"Come on, guys. You have to give me a little credit. I know some things, too," He said a little offended that we didn't think he knew anything in this department. I laughed.

"I'm sorry, Master Po, I didn't know you were so knowledgeable. How about we go down the mountain? I'm hungry and the servants haven't cooked anything special for me," I said in a kingly way. Krystal rolled her eyes as we left the Training Hall with Tigress left. "He's right, you know," I said.

"About what," she said coldly.

"You know what I mean. I'm not saying you have to tell us right away, but it will help you become a better warrior. If that's what you really want," I explained. She looked at me curiously. "Time will tell what you REALLY want. And I'm pretty sure it will surprise you." With that, I left her in the Training Hall. We were halfway down the mountain when I sensed her coming behind us. "You're coming?"

"Yeah...I'm...actually hungry as well," She said, seemingly shy. I smiled. Looks like Po could get her to do what I could only dream of her doing. And that got me thinking.

* * *

"I think we need a change of plan to get those two together," I told Krystal as we went our way to Ru.

"How?"

"For the longest, I thought I would have to get closer to Tigress as a friend to try and understand her, but I'm figuring out that Po is closer to her," I said. She stopped and looked at me. "Yeah I know. I should have seen this earlier, but I didn't think Po had it in him."

"Okay, so what about him?"

"Well, I need to have Po like Tigress," I explained. She was confused. "Okay, hear me out. Po can get Tigress and everyone in the Jade Palace in and out of trouble. He can also get them to tell him things we could only dream of. I don't know if it's because he's persistent or because of his golden heart. Either way, they trust him. So if we get Po to like Tigress, it will be fairly easy for her to look at him with interest." _Maybe we need to do what Zan did_ I thought to myself.

"Okay, but doesn't Po already kinda like Tigress?"

"That's the problem. I don't know what kind of relationship they have. I don't know if Po sees her as just a friend or sister or-or... I don't know. Step-half-former-twice removed cousin." Krystal giggled a bit. "But Po has to like her first. Then I think everything will fall into place."

"So why are we going to Ru's," Krystal asked.

"I just want to go somewhere different. I'm bored," I complained. Krystal rolled her eyes. We soon made it to the little house in the woods. Ru was outside the house making pottery. "Mr. Ru, it's good to see you."

"Master Lion, what brings you here," He asked kindly.

"We were just wondering if we could help you. You know, give you some help with the pottery," I said.

"Do you know anything about pottery," Krystal asked.

"Well, I've made a Ying-Yang bowl and a blue pyramid. Plus, I've read _Single Shard_ so I think I have some experience," I said confidently. Ru smiled.

"Well, you can practice," Ru said giving us some clay. So we set to work forming and sculpting the clay. Krystal designed a decorative orb with white and blue dyes. I tried to make a better design of the Ying Yang bowl that I had. Then came the firing. I was glad that I made more than one bowl because the first was a bust. Soon, we were able to perfect our firing technique, but by the time it was done, we had to go back to the Jade Palace, a different way.

"Take hold of me," I said with a mischievous smile. Krystal looked at me suspiciously. Before she could say anything, I lifted her in my arms like a bride and blasted my way up the mountain. She was, of course, screaming all the way. When we finally got to the top, I looked at her frightened face and laughed. She returned the kindness by slapping me.

"That's for doing that without my permission," She said upset. I smirked.

"You mean you liked it then," I asked. She looked away from me. I still chuckled. "Anyways, let's get to our room."

"Carry me," Krystal asked in a cute smile. My face fell.

"Oh now you want me to carry you," I said. "Fine." So I lifted her up and carried her to our room, where I dropped her on the mat.

"OFT! Hey! That wasn't the gentlest letdown," Krystal complained.

"Sue me," I replied gruffly. I sat down on the side of the mat. Something was still bugging me. Krystal seemed to notice it.

"What's the matter," she asked.

"It was earlier with Po. I didn't like how he answered the question," I replied.

"He doesn't want to be pestered about his love life. I can understand that" She countered.

"No, it's specifically HOW he answered it. It wasn't frustrated and acting without thinking like he usually does. He answered in a controlled, I want to say almost sinister, rage. He usually doesn't do that."

"I'm guessing your stories have something to do with it," Krystal asked.

"Why do you automatically assume I did it," I questioned.

"Because you're usually the culprit," She smiled.

"Okay fair enough," I nodded. "It's something I'm not sure I want to talk about. And I pray that it isn't true. 'Cause if it is, we can kiss our plan to get the two together good-bye." Then I thought about it. "Actually, maybe we could work with it. Assuming it's really real." Krystal hit me with the pillow. "Why do you do that?" She just laughed.

"Let's put 'assuming' behind us. Just write what happened today and go to bed," Krystal commanded.

"Yes, dear," I said, pretending to be dreary. Krystal almost hit me with the pillow but I ducked.

So I wrote the day's record in the book. "Look on the bright side, Lion. If you don't get those guys together you can always write your way out. That's what got you here," Krystal smirked. I frowned at her.

"You know, I could've just left you down the mountain," I snarled.

"Love you too honey," Krystal smiled.

 **To Be Continued.**


	17. Past Lives

Past Lives

* * *

Po was giddy again. I rolled my eyes. "Calm down. I know you're excited about the other Master Swordsmen coming but, at least, get a grip on yourself," I said. He wrapped his arms around himself to try to calm him. I just facepalmed myself. "Yeah, that will work." Just then there was a knock at the door. Po rushed over to open it. There stood Tai-gee, Nelon who was much bigger than I thought, another tiger, and a mountain lion- Mei-ling. Po was dancing in place.

"I'm so excited to finally see you!" Po jumped. I grabbed him and forced him to stay down.

"Let me guess," I said as the others were coming in. "You're Tai-gee, of course." He bowed. "You are the famous and infamous Saber." He glared at me coldly but nodded. "And you are-"

"Mei-ling?" Crane interrupted. It only took minutes for the mountain lion to recognize the avian. She immediately, faster than I could see her, ran up to Crane and hugged him tightly around his neck.

"Crane! It's so good to see you," She said delightfully and joyfully.

"Good to see you, too," Crane wheezed out. Her strength seemed to be strangling the life out of the bird. She finally let go of Crane.

"Everyone this is Mei-Ling. She used to-"

"You use to be with Crane when he was a janitor," Po butted in.

"Yes," I said glaring at him. "And this is-"

"Saber," Tigress added. Saber and I were a little surprised that Tigress knew about the tiger Master Swordsmen. "There have been stories of this tiger," She said very menacingly.

"The rumors you've probably heard are true to a certain extent," Saber replied somberly.

"But not all of them are true," Mei-ling spoke up, defending the tiger.

"Calm down, Mei-ling," Tai-gee soothed, "No one's accusing Saber of anything."

"What did he do," Po asked.

"The legend goes that Saber killed someone before, but what actually happened was that the guy he killed was trying to rob someone else. He killed a criminal," I explained. Saber nodded. That seemed to calm Tigress for the moment. "And this is-"

"Nelon," Tai-gee finished.

"Can I please finish a sentence," I exclaimed.

"So, you're the Lion Warrior," Nelon asked me. It's funny how tall people can make you feel two inches smaller. I sheepishly nodded. Nelon bowed. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

"Now that everyone has met everyone," Tai-gee spoke up, "Po is the one that wants to ask some questions."

"Oh no," I sighed.

"I don't have pestering questions. I just want to know some things," Po replied.

"Like," Monkey said.

"How did Mei-Ling get to be a Master Swordsmen?"

"She wanted a boyfriend," Nelon said plainly.

"Nelon!" Mei-Ling shouted. Monkey, Tai-gee, and I were laughing and Tigress and Saber just smiled a bit.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to say that aloud," Nelon sarcastically recovered.

"Anyways, Nelon was actually the first one who became the Master Swordsman," Tai-gee said. "I was the second, Mei-ling and Saber were third and fourth, respectively."

"Wow, cool," Po said. Nelon seemed to recognize Po.

"I've heard about you. You're the Dragon Warrior, aren't you," Nelon said. Po was amazed.

"You know me?!"

"From Tai-gee," Nelon said.

"Oh," Po said defeatedly. While they discussed, I decided to leave everyone to their own conversation. I was in the kitchen when Tai-gee, Mei-Ling, and Crane came in.

"What brings you here," I asked.

"Po's practicing with Saber and Nelon. Master Shifu told us how he fared with the Legendary Two-side Samurai and Lady Samurai and they wanted to see if for themselves," Mei-Ling explained. She was wearing her usual dark green fighting vest. I could tell she was still fit. Men must always want to get her number, er mail address to be exact. But that got me thinking.

"Mei-Ling, aren't you married to Saber," I asked. Mei-ling's eyes widened as her mouth dropped.

"How did you know that?" Mei-Ling questioned.

"Lion Warrior. Hello!"

"Right," Mei-Ling realized.

"So, you're married," Crane repeated. Mei-Ling nodded. "Wow, it's been a while since I've seen you. How long has it been?"

"Fifteen years," Mei-Ling answered. Crane scratched his other wing nervously.

"Wow, I didn't think it was that long," Crane said, stuttering a bit. I noticed this. I decided to change the subject.

"Crane, when's the last time you've seen your mother? Other than the time you and Po turned the Jade Palace into a hotel," I smiled innocently as he glared at me.

"Stalker," He retorted. "Anyways, it's been about... a year I guess."

"Why do you take so long to revisit friends and family," I asked.

"I don't," Crane said, defending himself.

"You do," Mei-Ling and I both said. Tai-gee nodded with us. The bird sighed.

"Okay, okay. So...things have gotten very busy while I've been at the palace. Bandits, training, saving China is a big task. I don't have much time for... relaxing. Plus, taking care of Po is difficult and you know personally how that is, Lion," Crane said, pointing me out. I rolled my eyes.

"Nevertheless," Tai-gee countered, "Family comes before the job. You won't always have your mother around with you."

"Let me ask you a question. Name me three memories you have of working, training, and being here," I asked.

"Being chosen, Po being chosen, and... my mother coming here," Crane replied.

"Now name five memories you have of being with family," I said.

"When my mother taught me how to write, when I was learning how to fly." Crane laughed in between. "When I was relearning how to fly." We all looked at him. "I had hit my head pretty hard and I forgot how to fly. It was momentary, though. Then there was when my father died and when I... nevermind."

"What," Mei-Ling asked curiously.

"It's nothing, really. You would laugh," Crane said, almost ashamed of himself.

"Crane, we're mature adults here," Tai-gee said.

"Speak for yourself, brother of Po," I jumped in. The big snow leopard glared at me. "But the point is you can tell us anything." Crane was quiet for a while.

"When I was young, probably around 15 or 16, I use to date this girl name Lu," Crane explained. I gasped.

"Who's Lu," Mei-Ling asked.

"Isn't Lu the Kung Fu Master of Southwest China," I asked. Crane nodded. "Why did you stop dating her?"

"Well, she wanted to become a master so she left. And that's the end of the story. So I have more happy memories of my family than of the Jade Palace, so what?"

"So what? Crane, do you honestly want to look back on your life and only remember those things," Mei-Ling asked. Crane sighed.

"You're right. I need a vacation," Crane admitted. Just then, Zeng came in with a concerned look.

"What's the matter," I asked.

"I think I know what a human looks like," Zeng answered. Crane and I looked at him with a bewildered look.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. Zeng presented another book. It was large like my journal, but it seemed worn and a little torn in some places. To be honest, it looked like some of my notebooks. Needless to say, that didn't explain why Zeng thought he saw a human.

"A person came here earlier and told me to give you that. He matched the description of a human. He didn't have much fur except on top of his head. He had no tail, and he was light brown. Oh, and he said his name was Demi." I instantly got upset.

"Well, Zeng," I said in a calm rage. "The next time you see Demi, make sure that you tell Dead Shot Duck to stick an arrow between his eyes for me." Zeng laughed and went his way. Mei-ling and Tai-gee were confused. Crane explained.

"Demi is the person who threw Lion into our world and the one who's given him a wife."

"Why are you upset with him then," Mei-Ling asked.

"The whole thing has kinda been...forced," Crane muttered. I looked in the book. It was written in fine print making it easy to read. "What is it?" I was shocked.

"In the other world, I use to write stories. This book is a collage of every story that I've written. And on the first page, Demi says, 'For Krystal, since Lion has been boring for the most part'," I huffed. The other three laughed. "I'm not that boring."

"Well, the problem is that we don't know if you're a boring _husband,"_ Mei-Ling giggled.

"You know, I'm starting not to like you," I said, not really meaning it. The others laughed.

* * *

"Wow," Krystal marveled as I wrote more in the journal in my room, "You're an interesting writer. I guess what you lack in social skills and interest you make up for in writing." I turned around to look at her.

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," I said, unsure. "I don't know why Demi wanted to give you that."

"Because he knew that I was interested," Krystal smiled charmingly. I grumbled under my breath. "Besides, it would be nice to understand who's a legend and who's not. You're a good writer."

"There's the compliment," I smirked as I continued writing.

"But-"

"Oh dear," I shook my head as I looked at her again.

"You seem to drag things on too long. You're needlessly complex in some of your dialogue and plots. Like for instance with _Zan_ you made the kid get into a relationship with the tiger and the panda."

"You know, Alien-heart said something like that," I chuckled to myself, remembering my old reviewers and helpful critics.

"Who?"

"Nothing," I recovered, "But you're right. Sometimes I think I put too little detail in the important parts of the story and too much detail in other parts. Every person has something about themselves that they wish they could change. The same is for writing."

"But I want to tell you this: I. Loved. _A Month_! That was the only time your dragging was great. It was believable, funny, dramatic, romantic, surprising, and all within the span of thirty days, essentially."

"Thanks for that. And thank you for the helpful tip. I have to remember that when I get back," I said, continuing to write. Home. That was something that was plaguing my mind. I guess it showed.

"What's the matter," Krystal asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about home. Oh! Did I tell you about Master Crane?" I asked her. Krystal shook her head. I explained to her my plan. Her face fell. "What?"

"You can't get the cat and panda together but you think you can get two lovebirds together?" I shrugged. She had a point. Plus, I didn't know about Crane as much as I did about Tigress. "Maybe it would be best to not focus on them," Krystal suggested. I groaned.

"Why are you right," I grumbled. Krystal chuckled as she pushed her side on mine.

"Because I am," she replied. "So where is this Lu person?"

"Who knows and cares? Right now, I have a tiger and a panda to worry about," I said. Then Krystal popped up from her bed and ran out the door. I didn't ask where she went until about an hour later when she returned with a decorative globe and a bowl. "I forgot they were ready!" I suddenly remembered about the pottery that we made at Ru's place. "It's a good thing you remembered." I looked at Krystal's globe. "Hold on to that," I said. I ran outside, scooped up a handful of dirt, molded it to stay together, and shaped it into a stand and gave it to Krystal. She placed it on my desk. "Are you sure that's not going to fall?"

"It will," She stated, "But as long as the maker is alive, I can always make another one." I smiled. It was only three days when we made these things and she already seemed to be an expert.

"I guess you're right," I said. Just then came an interesting thing.

"Hey Lion," Tigress AND Po said coming from different sides of the barracks and colliding. "Oh, I didn't mean to-," They said at the same time.

"Okay, ladies first. What is it Tigress?" I asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you alone," Tigress said.

"Okay, Po," I asked.

"Well, um... I was wondering something about the Lion Warriors," Po asked quite timidly. Tigress rolled her eyes as I sighed a bit.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Can you guys go back in time," Po asked. I looked at him with a suspicious look.

"Why do you ask," I questioned. Po was quiet for a while.

"Well, I... always wondered if I could go back in time with you guys and stop so much from happening. So much," He repeated. I could tell he was serious.

"Unfortunately, Lion Warriors can not do that," I replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Tigress."

"Actually, I'm okay for the moment. I... I just forgot about what I was going to tell you. I'll be training if you need me," Tigress hastily said. With that, she rushed away. Before I could talk to Po, he left, saying he had to go away to help his dad.

"Was that weird to you," Krystal asked.

"You're asking the guy whom everything here is 'weird' to him," I replied.

"Good point," Krystal said. "So why do you think Po asked that?"

"He was an orphan and adopted by his dad, Mr. Ping. I guess he wanted to go back in time and change that," I guessed. Krystal shivered. "What's wrong?" I asked, getting closer to her.

"Just cold," She said.

"You're lying," I said. "It's pretty warm here. That's a thought shiver, not a cold shiver."

"What's the difference," Krystal asked.

"Cold shivers are based on outside temperature. Thought shivers are when you think of something disturbing and you react."

"Oh," She ended.

"Krystal," I urged her on.

"Do you," She sighed, "think that Po had the rough life you portrayed in _Life of Po_?" I took a deep breath.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know. But I'm praying that he didn't." But I couldn't be worried about that. I had to get prepared for Tigress's training tomorrow.

 **to be continued**


	18. New House

New House

* * *

"Finally," Krystal shouted relieved as she plopped onto our bed, "A house just for me."

"Us," I smirked.

"Whatever," She said brushing me away.

"I assume you like the house," Master Shifu guessed. Liked it, didn't cover it. The house had three rooms, one master bedroom, and two smaller bedrooms. I had helped to install the working inside toilets, which came now with a refilling toilet that didn't need a pump. Needless to say, Po was a bit upset that I didn't come up with the idea before. He had been pumping his own and the other five toilets for three weeks now. The silk panels separating each room were a bit thin and see-through. I would have to figure that out later. However, the panels around the master bedroom were thick and opaque. I tested the acoustics in it. They were also soundproof. I didn't even know they could do that.

"Um, Master Shifu," I asked quietly as Krystal jumped up and down on the smaller bed, "Why are the walls in the master bedroom soundproof?" Shifu just coughed and said,

"I think you can figure that out, young master." _Oh, that,_ I thought to myself. I instantly blushed. "Now, I'll be leaving you to get acquainted with your new home. Enjoy!" With that, he was out the door. I watched Krystal as she continued to jump on the bed. Before she came back down, I blew a sphere of air around her, making her float.

"Hey! Stop that," She complained. I just smirked as I brought her over to me and dropped her in my arms. She crossed her arms and cutely pouted. I just laughed as I brought her to the bed. Then something hit me.

"Po's coming," I said, right as the panda knocked on the front door. "It's open, Po." The panda strolled through the hall to the room where we were.

"Tigress was wondering if you were going to train her," Po said. I nodded. Krystal was about to get up, but I stopped her.

"I'll give her a break from the social training. Right now, I'll just give her some formal training. You coming, Po?"

"No, is it okay if I just talk to Krystal for a while," Po asked. I raised my eyebrow for a moment.

"Okay, are you okay with it, Krystal?" Krystal nodded. "Okay then. I'll be off." As I went to get Tigress, I was wondering what Po wanted to tell Krystal. I shook my head. I couldn't think about that now. I needed to focus on Tigress's training. I found the tiger in the Training Hall stretching her legs and arms.

"I'm ready," She said confidently.

"Okay, today we're learning an air bending technique, which will annoy the heck out of you."

"Why?" Before she could think, I quickly doused her with a bucket worth of water.

"Try and tag me," I said cheekily as I ran for my life. I looked back and Tigress was two inches from my tail. I could see she was angry. I bolted. I made it to the Hall of Heroes, where Crane was. "Crane, quick! Let me borrow your hat." So he did as I got a sheet and a flower. Tigress burst through the doors right on time. I had the flower in my mouth, the sheet in my hands, and Crane's hat on my head. Tigress prepared herself, jumped, and I ducked, letting her land in a mess of weapons I made to trip her up. I gave Crane's hat back and ran again. I ran to the courtyard where I had another plan. Tigress stormed out, breathing out more fire and anger than air. I stayed quiet for my plan to work, but bodily functions messed up my plan.

Phbbbt!

Hey, you would let one lose too if you were this nervous. So Tigress, of course, heard me and tried to pounce on me. Luckily, I was quick enough to dodge it and she landed on the pile of bricks behind me. I ran back to the house, shut the door, and ran underneath Krystal's bed. Po and Krystal were confused, but before they could ask, I said, "SHHH! Tigress is trying to find me!" Just then, what sounded like a silent pressure wave exploding, Tigress entered.

"WHERE IS HE!" She bellowed.

"Hello to you too Tigress. Would you like some tea," Krystal replied, calmly.

"He dumped a bucket of water on me," Tigress answered, trying to calm down.

"Why," Po asked.

"He said he wanted to teach me some air bending technique, but I don't see how this is a part of it," Tigress said, still upset.

"I do," Po said. He whispered something to her. Tigress's angry scowl turned into surprise and then smirking mischief. Then I saw Krystal, Po, and Tigress move away from the silk panel door and I heard the front door close. Assuming that Tigress left, I came out from underneath my hiding spot and went to the door. There in the hallway, I could see Tigress standing there with her back towards me. I was ready to run, but she didn't move. Being curious, I walked around to her front. She had her eyes closed and stood like a statue.

"Tigress," I whispered. She didn't reply. "Tigress," I said louder. Still nothing. Then I gently shook her. "Tigress!" She quickly grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Gotcha!"

"D'oh," I muttered. She used my curiosity to her advantage. Tigress released me but I still grumbled. "What did Po tell you?"

"He told me that you were trying to be like the wind. If I were going to get the wind, I couldn't catch it with my back facing towards it. I need to get the wind to come to me, I simply need to turn my back," Tigress explained.

"Basically, make me come to you," I simplified. "Well done." We started out the door. "I hope that you don't take the water personally. Are we even?" Before she could answer, a bucket of water was thrown down on me by Po. Krystal stood there laughing at my watered down mane which covered my eyesight. Tigress looked at me and parted my wet mane.

"Now we're even," She smirked.

"Well played, tiger. Well played," I sighed. I went back inside to get clean off. The water was clear but you still want to make sure everything is clean. I dried off, put fresh clothes on, and went to the kitchen where Krystal was still in a humorous mood. "Betrayer," I muttered.

"What did you expect me to do? You shouldn't have dumped that water on her," Krystal replied. "What was that about anyway?"

"The key to air-bending is usually 'evade and dodge'. Figuring out how to catch 'the wind' in this case was a matter of using her head," I explained.

"But still, you shouldn't have done that," Krystal smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, sue me," I muttered as I got a glass of water. "So what did Po want to talk to you about?"

"Oh, he was just looking for tips on how to treat women. You'd be surprised how much he didn't know. Like he didn't know you're not to ask a woman's age. Well, you didn't know either," She smirked at my frowning face. "Anyways, I believe he's thinking about love too much."

"I agree. That can lead to the downfall of many people," I said as I sat down. Krystal looked at me questionably. "You can be in love with the idea of love and not be in love with who the person is."

"Oh," Krystal realized. "So what did Tigress want to talk to you about?"

"What do you mean," I asked.

"You remember when Po and Tigress came to our room and she wanted to ask you something? What was it," Krystal asked. I suddenly remembered.

"She didn't tell me." I scratched the back of my head. "It's weird, having to do all of this." Then I thought of something. "You and I need to talk to Master Shifu about Tigress. It just dawned on me that Shifu may not be the 'free-giver-of-his-foster-daughter' as I thought."

"You think that after all of this he would interfere with their happiness," Krystal asked.

"In all of the stories I've written, he hasn't but I don't know," I explained. Just then, there was a knock on the door. I lifted my hand and suddenly the door moved. Krystal looked a little shocked. "I figured out how to do that without doing the movement a while ago." The Furious Five, Shifu, and Po came inside the kitchen with wrapped gifts and presents.

"We brought housewarming gifts," Viper announced. Krystal was ecstatic as I smiled.

"Thank you all for giving us the house. It really helps with the... situation," I said slowly. They stood in place for a while. I didn't have to read their minds to know what they wanted. I rolled my eyes. "You want to hear another legend, don't you?"

"Yes please," They all said at once. I laughed as I had them sit down.

"Now, there is a legend that's been told for as long as I can remember," I started. "It starts just like all stories start: something seemingly normal and ordinary. It was a full moon in a small village much like this one. It was probably midnight when it happened. The moon spoke."

"Are you sure that's how the story goes," Krystal asked.

"You know the story," Mantis asked.

"She knows parts of it but she doesn't know how it began," I said through my teeth, glaring at her. She playfully stuck her tongue out as I groaned.

"Anyways," Po said.

"The moon said, 'I give light the darkness yet my light can not be sustained for long. I wane and I wax. I am half of a whole and a whole of two halves and I am nothing the next moment. But even in my light, darkness spreads around the Earth. So now, I give the Earth two rings. These rings, when worn, will give the wearer great power to stop the evil in the night.' And it was so that two rings dropped from the heavens and crashed into the Earth. And lo, a curious panda, probably younger than Po, stumbled upon the ring. The other ring sought to find another wearer. The ring floated in mid-air, zoomed to the panda, and latched to his finger. Try as he might, the panda could not pull himself free of the ring's grasp. Then there was a swirl of black and white light. The ring transformed the panda into a silver furred mighty lion. His new name was Meta-Lion. The other ring found a teenage snow leopard. It latched to him and transformed him into a silver furred, no spotted leopard. His new name was Silver Cat. By night, these two would fight their enemies and conquer their foes, but in the day time, they were just your ordinary people. These were the Warriors of the Moon." They clapped and applauded.

"That was marvelous," Master Shifu said.

"Why did you make the other a snow leopard," Po asked. I smiled. If he read my story of the Warriors of the Moon, he would understand.

"Just because, panda. Just because" I said.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone. We'll be expecting you in the morning," Master Shifu said as the others started to file out. I stopped Tigress.

"Tigress, what was it that you wanted to ask me alone," I questioned. She expressed a feeling that I never really saw on her. Nervousness.

"I...," She stuttered and stumbled, "I don't feel comfortable talking about it."

"That's okay. You don't have to tell me," I said with a smile. She quickly went out the door and shut it behind her.

"What was that about," Krystal asked. I told her. "Huh, what did she want to tell you that she isn't comfortable with now? Aren't you curious?"

"When it comes to the feelings of my friends and family, I tell them that they can tell me when they feel comfortable. That's why I don't ask you if you've come to like me or not." I was just pointing out a fact. I wasn't trying to infer or hint at anything. Though I could see that Krystal took the words a different way. Her curious open look changed to a look of shame. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She said, standing up and about to go out the door. I stood in her way.

"Was it something I said," I asked. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I know. It's not that," Krystal reassured me.

"Then what," I asked again. She was silent for a while.

"Do you think we'll ever... love each other," she asked. This threw me off. I wasn't expecting that. I strained a sigh as I thought about it.

"To be honest, I think I would rather be stuck with a friend than someone who just looked nice and was manipulative," I replied.

"What do you mean stuck with me," She said offended. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"There's no winning with you, is there," I stated. She laughed with a closed mouth. Then she kissed me on the cheek. I was wide-eyed with a jaw-dropping look as Krystal past me saying,

"Goodnight, Lion."

"Goodnight," I stumbled. I recovered. I had to prepare for the tough load ahead.

 **to be continued.**


	19. Running Around

Running Around

* * *

"This is your chance to take your full revenge, honey," I smirked at Tigress. Po was talking again to Krystal, this time with Viper. I hadn't taken much notice since I already trained Po yesterday. "Today, I'll be trying to find you," I said. Tigress smirked back.

"This'll be too easy," Tigress said confidently. I revealed my evil smile.

"Are you sure," I said, "I can sense you, smell your scent, and hear very well." Tigress's confidence instantly went way. "We're going to play 'tag' again. I'll close my eyes for five seconds to give you a headstart." I knew Tigress was pretty fast so she wouldn't need much time to hide. I closed my eyes, counted to five, opened them and she was gone, but her scent was still fresh. I soon caught up with her in the Training Hall. I looked around. I could see a hint of orange underneath the tumblers. "I see you!" She dashed after I said that. I was quick on her tail. I chased her all the way to the Hall of Heroes and back to the barracks, where I couldn't smell her but could sense her as she tried to quietly sneak away. "There are only so many people here, Tigress," I shouted as I chased her down the hall of the barracks and out to the courtyard, "I'll sense you." I guess that gave her an idea because she changed directions and headed for my house. I blew the door open and ran into Krystal's room.

"Privacy!" Krystal and Viper screamed.

"Sorry, I'm trying to find Tigress," I said.

"We only heard the door open. It's not that big of a house," Po said. Then I heard the door shut. I could still see the shadow of Tigress's body as it dashed away. She must have kept out of sight by attaching herself to the ceiling. I was quickly after her. Then I realized where she was heading; down the mountain. I couldn't sense her with so many people around. Also, I didn't know how to single out the person I wanted. So by going down there, she would be attempting to blend in. There was one problem with her strategy. Tigress is the only 6'2" female tiger in the valley. It would be easy to find her.

That's what I thought. The moment I got down the mountain into the village, I lost track of her. I tried using her scent, which worked for a while until it brought me to an old lady goat. "Oh, sorry," I said.

"It's alright. CHAR!" She said out of the blue. It was weird but I dismissed it. What was even stranger was she seemed to follow me everywhere I went. I couldn't find Tigress anywhere. She wasn't at Ru's, Mr. Ping's, or anywhere. She couldn't go up the mountain because then I could single her out, but I still couldn't find her. The weird goat lady kept following me, however. I decided to rest at Mr. Ping's where Zeng just happened to be looking for me.

"Hey Zeng, what's the matter," I asked.

"Well, Master Shifu was wondering when you guys were going to be done with your training. He doesn't want the Shift Stones to be outside the palace for long."

"What do you mean," I asked.

"Well, Shifu saw Tigress take one of the Shift Stones, so he assumed that you were using them for an exercise," Zeng said. I instantly glared at the goat lady that shot out of the door.

"Tigress!" I shouted. Before she could get away, I cut her off and tagged her. "Tag! You're it."

"Hmm," She growled lowly. She shifted back into a tiger. I walked her back to the shop where I gave Zeng the Shift Stone.

"Resourceful, quick-witted, strategic, spontaneous, and well planned. You did very well, my pupil. Very well," I told her. She smiled to no end. "But you technically cheated."

"Oh sure, and you who could sense me, smell me, and have Lion Warrior powers didn't cheat at all," she countered. I chuckled lightly.

"That's also true," I agreed. Mr. Ping brought us some drinks on the house. I was off in my thinking world when Tigress out of the blue asked me.

"What was Po, Viper, and Krystal talking about?" I looked at her with a questionable look. I was slightly suspicious.

"Why do you want to know," I asked, casually seeming as if it didn't phase me.

"I saw them talking to each other when I went into your house," She said.

"I asked why you wanted to know, not what you saw," I restated. She was silent for a while.

"Just curious. Why are two girls talking to Po? And why did Po want to talk to them," She asked. Something was still off.

"Po is Po. What does it matter to a trained Kung Fu Master like yourself," I said casually sipping my drink. I could tell her mood changed.

"Are you saying I don't care about Po," she asked in a quiet menacing voice to which I calmly replied,

"No, I'm just asking why you've taken a sudden interest in the matter."

"You're beating around the bush."

"You are too." She could see that I wasn't going to break unless she told me. She finally submitted and sighed.

"I... just find it awkward that he seems to be asking the other girls something and not me. Considering the issues and the fact I'm not really... 'feminine' in the public eye, the only safe assumption is that he's talking to them about... what females like in a man." I smirked.

"You see, you're social skills are paying off," I replied.

"Lion," Tigress simply said. I knew she wanted an answer.

"To be honest, I don't know. I do know Po wanted to talk about how to treat women the last time he and Krystal talked. But I don't know what they're talking about now," I explained. "Why are you so interested in it? Why do you care if they're talking about those things?"

"I'm not... as 'hardcore' as you think I am, Lion," Tigress replied. I shrugged.

"Well, what you show is what people will think of you," I said. "Come on, let's get up the mountain."

"You can fly can't you," Tigress said.

"Oh yeah. See you." With that, I blasted away from an upset Tigress. As I got to my house, Viper and Po were already leaving it. I landed right next to Krystal, who jumped when I appeared out of nowhere. "Sorry to scare you."

"Nah, I should be used to it," Krystal smirked as my face fell. We went inside. "How did Tigress do?"

"She had me for a while. I wouldn't have found her if Zeng didn't reveal her," I said. "So, what did Po want to ask you about?"

"Nosy," Krystal remarked.

"Hey, this time, I ask for a certain tiger," I replied. Krystal stared at me with peculiarity.

"Why?"

"You know, that's exactly what I was asking," I mentioned, "Anyways, she has deduced that since Po is talking to two 'more feminine than her' people, that it was something about what females like in a man."

"Did you ask why she asked that question," Krystal questioned.

"No, I didn't want to force out anything that she would be uncomfortable with," I said. Krystal smiled.

"You really are a caring person," She said.

"If you say that," I shrugged. "So what did Po want?" Krystal shook and held her head as if it was hurting.

"He... wanted to know if girls would like his doll- I mean 'action figure' collection or would they find it weird if he went to Kung Fu festivals. The guy is a lot of work."

"I know, but he's Po," I said sympathetically.

"But he did ask one interesting question," Krystal said. "He asked if Crane and Tigress ever dated."

I replied, "Why did he ask you that?"

"He says that he found some old poems written in Crane's handwriting but addressed to Tigress." I shrugged.

"I have no clue," I replied.

"I was wondering about your story _Zan._ Didn't they have a relationship then?"

"Yes. Why does it matter to him?" I inquired. Krystal simply shrugged. "I doubt they actually did. (sigh) This is going to be very interesting."

So the next day after training Po, I went to Tigress, who was in the Training Hall with Master Shifu. "Master Tigress, I have a question for you," I started.

"Um... sure. Why so formal," Tigress wondered. I knew she would be curious that I called her 'master' for the first time.

"Just because this question might get me launched out of the palace. Did you use to date Crane?" I asked bluntly. Before she could answer, Shifu answered for her.

"Why yes, she and Crane use to date for a while." My eyes were bigger than ever.

"Master Shifu!" Tigress exclaimed.

"Oh, you wanted that to be a secret. My bad," Shifu apologized. Tigress groaned, pinching her nose. I patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't make fun of you," I said.

"It's not you I'm worried about. It's Po and the others," Tigress remarked.

"Master Shifu, can you excuse us for a moment," I asked. The red panda bowed and went away. "So how did dating Crane go?" She was silent for a while.

"It was... okay."

"You don't sound like it was the best choice," I noticed.

"It's not that I don't like him. He and I are much alike in our..."

"Maturity, level-headedness, and training," I finished. She glared at me. I laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, continue."

"He asked me and then we were in a relationship and then we broke up," She stated simply.

"No duh," I said sarcastically. "Why did you break up?" I knew I wouldn't get more than that out of her.

"I... wanted to focus more on my training," Tigress replied.

"Uh huh, and how's that going for ya," I asked, sarcastically. She just glared at me. "What stopped him from getting you back?" Tigress was silent. "You know, I'm pretty sure that Crane is more willing to tell me." Tigress sighed.

"I think... it was Po that caused it." This made me surprised a little. I didn't think I would be right twice. "So is there any other questions you want to ask?" I smiled.

"No, but Po wanted to ask that question." Tigress looked at me with a confused look.

"Why would Po ask that?"

"You're asking me," I chuckled a bit, "That's what they were talking about yesterday."

"Okay, but why?" I smirked.

"Who knows. Maybe he wants to get to know you more," I said. Tigress looked away. I only sighed. Just then, Krystal came in.

"Hello," Krystal said, coming up to me and kissing me on the cheek. She walked away leaving me speechless in front of Tigress and blushing. Tigress just smirked.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's in a love situation," Tigress teased. I glared at her.

"Well played tiger, well played," I replied. I returned to my house where Po was waiting for me. "Po? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could ask you something," Po started, but I stopped him.

"Po, why are you asking all these questions? These serious questions," I asked. Po was silent for a moment.

"I don't know. Why does it matter," Po replied.

"Because these kinds of questions are ones that show that a person's hiding something. I'm not going to pry but still, you have me concerned, buddy."

"I know... I guess... there are a lot of things that I've done in the past that I was hoping you could help me fix. And then there's my situation in the 'love' department," Po sighed. Usually, I would be very suspicious, but this was a situation that needed a listening ear, not a critical mouth.

"I understand," I smiled cheerfully. "Cheer up! Now, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Do... no... you would laugh," Po said. I rolled my eyes.

"What's your question?!" I exclaimed.

"Do you think Tigress would date someone like me," He asked. My eyes widened. "That doesn't mean I like her or anything. I'm just wondering."

"Why, though," I questioned.

"Well... haven't you been curious of whether or not she'd date someone," Po asked. This is true for many people back at home.

"Um, Po? I'm already in a relationship so I don't care about other ones," I said with a corny smile.

"Lion!"

"I think she would. Answer me honestly, do you like her," I asked. Before he could answer after his pause,

"I think he has some privacy, Lion," Tigress butted in. I was shocked I didn't sense her, but Po was blushing and shaking. But Tigress was smiling. "It's alright Po. You don't have to worry about what you said."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Po replied.

"What did you hear," I asked. She smirked.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," She mocked me. I pouted. "I'm sorry for intruding on your conversation, but someone has come to the Jade Palace and I think Lion needs to see her."

"Why?"

"Because she said someone called Demi sent her to talk to you," Tigress smirked. I instantly got upset.

"This is where the messenger is going to die," I said satanically.

"But the others haven't seen her yet. Zeng's bringing her so everyone can meet her," Tigress said.

"What is her name," Po asked.

"Lu," Tigress replied. My eyes sprang out.

"Okay, maybe she won't die. Come on, let's see what Demi's done," I said.

 **to be continued.**


	20. Surprise!

Surprise!

* * *

So we went to the Hall of Heroes where the masters had yet to arrive. For some reason, Tai-gee was there along with Nelon. "What are you two doing here," I asked.

"We were called here by Zeng. This person wants to have everyone here including us," Nelon answered.

"Where's Mei-Ling and Saber," Po asked. Tai-gee looked around uncomfortably as Nelon smirked. "Oh."

"Anyways," I continued, "Where is Master Lu?" Tai-gee stepped out of the way to present the crane. I was a little shocked. I didn't think she would look this pretty. Her legs were like Crane's, maybe a bit smaller. She had a simple white robe on with a pink strap around her waist. Her white feathers had blackish rims around them, and the two single feathers on her head were a lighter black as well. She was just as tall as Crane, probably about half an inch less. Her eyes were crystal blue as well. Her demeanor was shy and she seemed a little timid. I bowed before her. "It is an honor to meet you, Master Lu. I am Lion, this is Tigress, Po, the Dragon Warrior, Nelon, and Tai-gee. Both are Master Swordsmen." She bowed as well.

"It is an honor to meet you all. Especially you, Lion and Tai-gee," She said in a kind silky smooth voice. Then Master Shifu, Viper, Mantis, and Monkey came in.

"Where's Krystal," I asked Shifu.

"She went down to Mr. Ru," He answered. Then he addressed the crane. "You must be Master Lu that I've been hearing about. It is nice to meet you."

"You too, Great Master Shifu," Lu replied with a charming smile.

"Now, what is it that you have from Demi," I said with anger in my voice. I regretted that because she seemed afraid of me. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be angry with you. The one who's sent you is who I'm angry at." She seemed to buck up the courage.

"He told me to tell Master Shifu... that Tai-gee is Tai-Lung." We all gasped because she said it not because we were surprised. We all looked at Master Shifu, who was still and looked paralyzed. _I'm going to kill Demi_ I thought to myself. I saw Master Shifu going to Tai-gee. Before I could get to him, Tigress blocked his way.

"Master, please. He has changed," She said. I could tell Shifu was surprised.

"You knew," He quietly asked. I could tell there was a sense of betrayal between the two. So I spoke up.

"Actually, everyone knew. We just didn't want you to know because we think didn't you would accept him." Shifu was silent for a moment. Tigress still stood in his way. Tai-gee made her get out of the way.

"Whatever I've done, I deserve to take by myself," Tai-gee said as he took off his mask. Shifu stood in front of the big snow leopard. "I'm sorry for deceiving you Master Shifu, but not only my safety was at stake but my family's was also."

"You're in the Master Swordsmen, saving people daily, and made a family. I couldn't be happier that you deceived me. I'm proud of you," Shifu smiled. Tai-gee bowed before him. Tigress stood next to him. "You even got Tigress on your side." Tai-gee bowed again.

"Thank you, Baba," He said.

"But you're going to have to keep the mask on for the village. They are not likely to receive you with open arms," Shifu instructed. Tai-gee nodded.

"Is there anything ELSE that you want to cause mass chaos, Master Lu," I retorted. She shook her head. "Why would Demi want to tell us that?"

"He said if you wouldn't be the prime mover of the situation, he would," Lu replied. I groaned. That meant that I would have to speed up or push people into situations in order to make things work. I didn't like doing that. Then something occurred to me.

"Where is the bird," I asked.

"I'm here," Crane said coming from the front door. "Had to get-" He stopped short when he saw Lu. Lu saw him and blushed.

"Oh no," I sighed.

"What's the matter with them," Tigress asked. I quickly told her. "Really? You mean he had someone else?"

"You're surprised," Po noticed.

"Well, yeah. I mean... Crane is... Crane," Tigress said. I knew she was really surprised because Crane dated her and he didn't tell her anything.

"Hello um... Lu," Crane stuttered.

"Hhhahaahallo," Lu stumbled. "It's good to see you, Cra...Master Crane."

"Um... I think I agree with everyone when I say you two need some alone time," I smiled. I could tell Crane was nervous. Lu wasn't much different either. "Or not."

"Come Lu," Master Shifu called, "Why don't I show you around the place?" She quietly nodded as she took one last look at Crane before going out the door. Crane sighed.

"She's just like you remembered," Tai-gee asked.

"No, she's more beautiful and better than I remember her," He sighed lovingly.

"You never told me you dated someone else," Tigress said.

"Why should he? It was his private business," Her brother said innocently. Tigress side glared at the big snow leopard.

"The point is that she's here. Now what are you going to do about it," I asked Crane.

"I don't know," Crane said nervously stuttering and honking again. "I... I'm a nervous wreck around girls I like." He saw Tigress's stare. "Some girls I like. Others are different." I rolled my eyes. The thing these two had really started to bug me. "What am I going to do?"

"Just be yourself," I advised. Crane groaned.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Look, no one wants a fake person who tries to be cool and confident just to snag somebody. They want the real person. That doesn't mean some people will like it, but it will be genuine," I replied. Crane sighed.

"You're right."

"Isn't he always," Monkey mentioned. I patted Crane on the back.

"You'll be fine," I smiled. With that, he and the others went out, except Tigress. "Are you really that amazed that he had someone else?"

"No, it's not that," Tigress replied quietly. I looked at her until she spoke. "It's... it's the thing I wanted to tell you, but I don't think I'm comfortable saying it."

"Just take your time. Remember I'm always here," I replied. My sore mood came on as she left. It was what Demi said. He would be the prime mover if I didn't step up my game. I didn't like pushing or dragging people into things, especially if it's for their own good. I sighed. If I was going to make any process, I would have to do that which I hate. I went back to the house. I opened the door and Krystal showed me a wrapped gift and handed it to me. "For me? Why?"

"Can't I just give a gift to the people I care about," She said.

"Yes, but this is a first," I mentioned. She just shoved the present into my chest. I held it. It was pretty heavy. We walked to my room, where I rested the present and undid the bow. It was a beautiful flat glazed clay portrait of me with a bo-staff. It was pretty accurate. I was careful to put it on a stable flat surface in my room. "Thank you so much. You've given me this but I haven't given you anything," I said as she and I rested on my bed.

"You don't have to give me anything. This is in appreciation of everything you've done for me. You've taken care of me, protected me, and comforted me when I'm in need of it. This is just for what you've already given me," She said, hugging me. But I wasn't moved.

"You still want a gift, don't you?"

"Yes please," She innocently smiled.

"Greedy."

"I like to think it as 'human'," She replied.

"Oh no! Don't you start that!" I laughed.

"So what happened while I was gone," Krystal asked. I told her what happened with Po, Lu, Tai-gee, Master Shifu, and Crane. She was shocked and surprised. "You go down the mountain for one moment and everything goes screwy!"

"By the way, why did you kiss me in front of Tigress," I asked, a little irritated. Not about the kiss but the fact she did it in front of Tigress.

"Because," She simply stated. I was honestly waiting for more but she didn't seem to continue.

"That's it? Just because" I asked. Then she smirked.

"Got to keep you on your toes," She said. I rolled my eyes. I smiled, though. "What?"

"You're really beautiful. I sometimes forget that" I replied. She lightly pushed me as she blushed.

"Flirt."

"No I mean it," I said.

"Anyways, what do you plan to do for the two birds?"

"Nothing, my job isn't to them. It's with Tigress and Po." I replied.

"Oh come on. You mean to tell me that you can just let these two be and just act as if nothing is happening?"

"Yes," I stated. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay, let's just see how long you hold out," She teased. I smiled.

"But thanks for the gift. I'll have to figure out what to give you." She smiled happily and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I know that something will come out of that airy head of yours," She smirked. I shook my head, but that gave me an idea.

"That's it!" I stood up, letting Krystal's head drop to the mat. "Sorry honey, but I have to see if I can do something," I said as I rushed out of the house. I remembered something that the Lion Warriors could do. I rushed over to the coal stash for the fire needed to heat the baths. I took a big chunk of the coal and began to do something very complicated. I remembered that Lion Warriors could also manipulate the atoms, electrons, and protons in things. So, "Almost got it." I struggled to apply the needed pressure and heat. "Finally!" So I rushed down to the house and ran into the room where Krystal still was. I presented the gift. She was shocked. It was a huge diamond. She gently held it.

"How did you get this," she marveled.

"I made it," I said proudly.

"How?!"

"Lion Warriors can," I had to say this in a way she would understand. The study of chemistry hadn't been invented yet. "Lion Warriors can make diamonds out of coal."

"Oh, so you can manipulate the complex atoms of the coal to form the necessary arrangement for crystallized diamonds," she replied. I stood there like an idiot with my mouth open. "Demi included a few science lessons inside the book as well."

"Of course, he did," I frowned. Krystal kissed me on the cheek to cheer me up.

"It's really beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I goofily smiled. Krystal just chuckled. I wrote all of this in the journal. I thought that it would be just smooth riding for a while. The next day proved me wrong.

 **to be continued.**


	21. The Incident

The Incident

* * *

I was staring at the ceiling my room in the middle of the night. I guessed it was 3:00 am because that's usually the time I get up and go to the bathroom. I just stared up at the ceiling waiting for sleep to conquer me. I was sleepy and my body was weary, but something just wouldn't let me sleep. I started to become restless. Then I heard a scuffling of feet. I turned my head to see Krystal in my room. "Krystal," I said, now fully awake, "What are you doing up? The only one who should be up this late is me." I was joking but she wasn't smiling. She seemed scared and frightened, like when she first came to the Jade Palace. "What's wrong?"

"N...nothing. I just wanted to... to see if I can sleep with you," She said. I stood upright in the bed and let her sit down beside me.

"What's wrong? And don't lie to me. I know something's up," I said earnestly. I was really scared of what was bothering her.

"I... it was just a silly dream," Krystal replied, trying to act brave.

"It must have been some kind of 'silly' dream to make you come here. What was the dream?" I asked. She was silent for a while.

"We... we were in your world. All the gadgets and systems made it feel like it was paradise. But then when I looked around for you, you were with someone else. And when I tried to talk to you, you said that since we were here, we didn't need to be together and you could date who you wished. As you left with the other girl, it got really dark and I just kept falling," She started to cry and clung onto me. "I don't want you to leave me. Please don't leave or forget me when you go back home."

"Does me leaving you really scare you that much," I asked. In the immediate moment, it was a dumb question. She just told me her dream and I ask a question like that? However, thankfully, it didn't offend or outrage her.

"Yes, it does. I know we've only known each other for about a year, but I don't want you to leave me just because of how we got married. I don't want another husband or boyfriend, I want you." Man, this woman knows how to pick at a person's heartstrings. And she seems to do it unintentionally. I hugged her tightly, calming her down some.

"It's alright," I said, "I won't leave you. Though this isn't the ideal circumstances, I am committed to this relationship." She looked at me with a tear-streaked smile.

"Thank you, John," she said tenderly. The fact she said my real name made me all the more lightheaded and light-hearted.

"You can stay with me if it will help you."

"That would help," She replied. I started to get up, but she held on to me. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get some pillows so I can sleep on the floor. It's going to wreck havoc for my back, but it's a little price to pay," I said, desperately trying to get her to smile and cheer up just a bit. But that just made her nervous.

"Actually, I was...wondering if... you and I could... sleep in the same bed." Okay, that was an elevation in the relationship level. I had no intention of doing anything touchy, but I did have a duty to comfort her.

"Are you sure you're okay with that," I asked, trying to make sure she was sure of her decision. She nodded. I didn't question it. I went back to my bed and scooted over. We were face-to-face with not much room in between. If I was sleepy, it was completely gone now! I was nervous. Hey, having a girl this close to you would make you nervous too. And yes, even if she is your wife. Krystal picked up on this.

"Don't worry, I'm nervous too. I just want to make sure you're near me," Krystal said, wrapping her arms around me. I did the same unknowingly.

"As long as I can comfort you," I said with a nervous grin. Krystal smiled.

"Good," She simply said as she rested her head into my chest. I didn't think I could sleep, but then there was blackness and then the sun was up. I was able to sleep through the night with a beautiful tigress by my side. I slowly opened my eyes to see her still there. I was about to close my eyes again until she said something.

"Tigress is here," She said without moving. I looked at the door and could see a smirking, smug Tigress leaning on the entryway.

"TIGRESS!"

"OW! That doesn't mean you can shout in my ear," Krystal complained.

"Sorry."

"Am I interrupting something," Tigress teased, "I just came to talk to Lion when-"

"How did you get in!"

"The front door doesn't have a lock. You should get that fix," She mocked me. I groaned as I got out of bed.

"Why didn't you shake me awake or something, Krystal," I asked.

"You won't let go of me in your sleep," she mumbled still resting in the bed. I blushed in front of Tigress.

"Go outside, I'll be right there," I said. When Tigress left, Krystal was sitting upright in the bed. I sat beside her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Of course, and I'm sorry if I was clingy. I... the thought of you leaving just scares me," She said.

"Scares you or hurts you," I said to clarified. She hugged me tightly.

"I don't expect you to be there for me 24/7, but I don't want you to abandon me," She said.

"I won't," I reassured her. I kissed her on the forehead. She instantly blushed. "I'll be back," I smiled. I went out the door to see Tigress's smiling face. "You are to say nothing," I growled out. "Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Um... actually, I don't think I can do it," She retreated. I rolled my eyes but said.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Tell me when you're comfortable," I replied. I was about to walk away before she grabbed my arm.

"No, I have to do this. If I don't, it will haunt me," she said nervously.

"Let's get to somewhere more private," I suggested. We went a little way out from the house. "Now, what is it?" She was shaking.

"Do you promise not to tell ANYONE that could tell Shifu," She pleaded with me. "He would be very disappointed."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to see me differently, okay?" I nodded.

"Don't worry, I won't. Now, what is it?" It was a while before she told me, and when she told me I wasn't prepared for it.

* * *

"Touched," I said the word with anger, sadness, and woe. Tigress had been young when the 'incident' occurred, about fifteen. She had been dating this smooth, punk wolf. This was her first time dating someone. However, about a month into the relationship, the wolf wanted things to get 'physical' and didn't take no for an answer. Luckily, Tigress knew enough Kung Fu to get herself out of the situation and prevent any physical damage. But I knew that this kind of thing wouldn't be just a physical thing. It would be psychological, even emotional, scarring. My mother was a specialized woman doctor that cared for things like these. I never thought I would be in the same situation she dealt with. I shook my head. This was probably the underlying reason why Tigress and Crane couldn't make it work out. She couldn't trust people. I told Krystal what she told me. She just sat in horror. "How can I fix this," I asked myself more than her.

"I don't think you can," She replied. She was right and I knew that. "What can you do?" There was absolutely nothing I could do. "Why did she tell you?"

"I have this way of making people think I'm trustworthy, which I am to a certain extent. But this is."

"What about the wolf?"

"He died in an unrelated accident, about two months after the incident." Then I thought of something else. "There's no way Po will get Tigress now. Her mind won't let her trust anyone. I might as well just write my way out of this. I just can't believe this happened. Now I really do wish Lion Warriors could go back in time."

"Lion, why are you so worried about going home? By what you've told me about it, it's not the best place," Krystal asked. She had a very good point. There's no traffic, little pollution, I have superhuman powers, I'm married, I'm with one of my favorite characters, my identity pays for itself, I don't have to worry about college loans, I have a permanent house, I can see the world if I wanted to, and I am a lion. Why was I so worried about going home? Home. Try as I might, this place is not my home. I am a pilgrim in this land. Though I wish I could stay, I can not.

But now was not the time to focus on me. I had Tigress to worry about. Po said that she had to let go of any conflicts or burdens on her for her to heal. Healing process starts now! "Tigress has to tell Shifu."

"No," Tigress exclaimed. I sighed and shook my head. We were in the courtyard and the others were out on a mission. Po was down in Mr. Ping's shop with Tai-gee. "He would be disappointed."

"No, he wouldn't. And if he is, I will kill him," I said seriously. I wasn't going to let Shifu live if he scowled Tigress for something like this. Krystal held Tigress's hand.

"I know that it's scary. I know you want to be strong, but this is something that you need to do," she explained, "We'll be with you." Tigress drew a deep breath. We went to the Hall of Heroes, where Master Shifu was.

"AH, Master Tigress, Master Lion, and Krystal. What is the matter?" He asked curiously. I could see Tigress gripping Krystal's hand tightly as Tigress knelt to Shifu's height.

"M..Master Shifu," Tigress stumbled. "I have something to tell you." Then she told him. Shifu's expression was devastating. His ears drooped down, his eyes widened, and I could see his face was riddled with... guilt instead of disappointment.

"Why didn't you tell me," Shifu asked, heartbroken. Tigress struggled to get the words out.

"Because... I didn't want to disappoint you." Shifu immediately hugged her.

"I have never, and will never be disappointed in you. You're my daughter. The only one who should be disappointed is you," Shifu said, "I should have helped you. I should have been there to save you from that that-"

"Incident," I finished. I had to be careful not to intrude too much.

"It was my fault," Shifu continued.

"No, I should have focused on training. If I had, I wouldn't have-"

"Tigress, is this why you train so much? Is this why you exert yourself too much," Shifu asked. Tigress bowed her head. "It doesn't matter. You don't have to train to make sure you won't be taken advantage of. And you don't have to train to make me proud of you." Tigress's head snapped up. "I listen and hear the stories you tell of Tai-lung and I know the sign of no parental approval. I've always been proud of you. You are the result that I could train someone right. After Tai-Lung, I didn't think I could train anyone again. I didn't trust myself to show any kind of affection. This is all my fault."

"It doesn't matter who's fault it was," I butted in. This self-blame wasn't getting us to the healing stage. "The person at fault has already paid for his actions. What matters now is that you know what happened, and you know what to do to fix." Shifu nodded as he hugged his daughter again.

"I'm sorry, Master Shifu," Tigress softly said. It sounded like she was going to cry.

"It's okay. It's not your fault," Shifu whispered. I motioned to Krystal to follow me out so we could let them heal. Before we left, I heard Tigress faintly say,

"I love you, Baba." To which Shifu replied.

"I love you too, my child." We went out the door and back to the house.

"That was... something," Was all I could say.

"Do you think they will get better," Krystal asked.

"They will. I know they will. But do let's keep this from Po. I don't know how he would react if he knew," I said. "She'll have to learn how to trust again, which is something she's already been doing with Po."

"So why didn't she tell Po then," Krystal asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. I looked outside. It was still noon. My stomach growled very loudly.

"Wow, your stomach as a timely announcing," Krystal smirked. I think it was the only laugh I got out this entire morning. Things would get better. I could already feel it in my bones.

 **to be continued.**


	22. A Funny Day

A Funny Day

* * *

Today was interesting and funny compared to yesterday. The very first moment I woke up, I had a person on my belly and looking at me. I jumped on my bed, making the child go into the air and land back on my belly. "Miracle, what are you doing here," I asked, impatiently. You would be upset too if something like this happened.

"I was wonderin' when you would wake up. Mama told me you're sleeping so I couldn't dis'... wake you up. So I-"

"Never mind, you little troublemaker," I chuckled. "Where is your mother?" So I followed the little tyke to the kitchen where Krystal was talking to the snow leopard. This was Sarah, Tai-gee's killer wife. I mean killer because she used to be a princess assassin. "Ah, hello Sarah."

"Hello Lion," She said completely unphased. I guessed that Krystal already explained to her I was the Lion Warrior. "I hope Miracle didn't bite your tail again." Just as she finished saying that, I grabbed my tail out of reach of the little squirt.

"HA! Ya missed," I exclaimed to the pouting child. I picked her up and handed her to her mother. "So what brings you here?"

"Well, I was just going up with Tai-gee when he mentioned things about you and your wife. So I decided to come by and-"

"And bring little bites-a-lot," I interrupted. Miracle became fussy as she sat in her mother's lap.

"Visit the house. You have a lovely home," She said. She was right. It was modest and simple. The front door was parallel to the sliding silk door of the master bedroom. The kitchen was on the right, nearest to the front door, and my room was on the right as well furthest from the front door. Krystal's bedroom door was adjacent to mine but her room was a lot bigger than mine simply because... she wanted it that way. The walls and panels had beautiful decorations and patterns. Then Tai-gee and Tigress came inside.

"Hello, sorry to dump my family on you. I had to do something for Master Shifu," Tai-gee said.

"No problem, what did Shifu want you to do," I asked.

"He said he wanted to send me on a mission to get a prince, but I don't have the time. My family and I are going on a little trip," Tai-gee explained. Miracle began to bounce excitedly in her mother's lap.

"Well, I hope you have a safe way there," Krystal said as they exited the room and went out the house. "I'll be busy at Ru's house. See you," She mentioned as she kissed me on the forehead. Then she went out the door, leaving Tigress with me.

"What are you doing here," I asked.

"Krystal told me about the journal one time and how you had to write in it to get out of this world. I want you to write what happened yesterday in there," She told me.

"Are you sure," I asked.

"Yes, I want others to know that it isn't their fault. There are many like me and they think it was their fault. The truth is it could have been a lot worse. Tell them, that it isn't their fault by my story," she said. So I did and so I have. I wrote these things down later.

"Okay, I will. Is there anything else you want to talk to me about," I inquired.

"Actually, it's about Crane," She said. This took me for a loop. "Well, I know now that Lu and Crane use to date but I didn't think he would act so nervously."

"Where is Lu staying at," I asked.

"She's staying in the room you two use to share," She answered.

"How do you know he's acting so nervous," I asked.

"Because when we were sparring, he was doing a flying exercise and flew into the beam when Lu came in," she explained. I laughed. I could see this happening before my eyes. "And Lu is nervous too."

"How can you tell," I asked, knowing something funny was going to happen.

"Because when she was cooking with Po, she accidentally put something in the pot that made it explode when Crane passed by." I laughed.

"Where was I when this happened," I questioned.

"You were down at Mr. Ru's. Anyways, I don't know why they're so nervous. It's starting to affect our jobs."

"How?"

"Crane, when we had to deal with some bandits later yesterday, was daydreaming when a bandit smacked him in the face and he landed in a lady's spa." I blurted out laughing.

"That's why he smelled so good," I snickered. "So why are you concerned about it?"

"I'm not really concerned but I do want him to stop being this way. It's starting to affect the teamwork," Tigress said.

"I know that. Where is he? Maybe I can help him," I offered.

"He's in his room," Tigress said getting up from the table.

"That reminds me. Where is Po?"

"He's on a mission for Shifu. Something about a prince." I shrugged it off as unimportant news. I then teleported, because I was lazy, into Crane's room where his eyes were settled out the window, where Lu was actually practicing her staff wielding skills with Monkey. He sighed with a lovesick heart. I snuck up to him and shouted,

"HEY LOVEBIRD!" He jumped to the ceiling, knocking his head on it, and came crashing back down. Before Lu could look, Crane quickly closed the window. He glared at me as I laughed.

"Why did you do that? You almost made me look like a dunce in front of the others."

"Namely Lu, right," I smirked. Crane looked away from me.

"I'm a lost cause, aren't I? I have no shot with her," Crane said pessimistically.

"Of course, you do. You just don't see it. Listen, why don't you just go talk to her. I'm sure she would want to hear how things have changed with you."

"I can't. Every time I try to even say hello, I screw up."

"And so does she from what I can gather," I smiled. "You can't live in nervous fear. Plus, your fighting and Kung Fu training has been buggy and it's affecting everyone around you."

"I know. I should just focus on my training," Crane said, beating his head. I stopped him.

"You could do that as while as talk to her. Your problem isn't going to go away if you run from it," I said.

"I know."

"SO DO!" I exclaimed, instructing him to go to her. I followed him to the Training Hall where Lu was. She moved her training inside. We were just in time for her training to stop. She turned to Crane, who froze. I laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Just talk to her. I'll help you even." Then I spoke to her. "Master Lu, I don't think we've had the 'proper' introduction. You already know I'm Lion, but I think you don't know Crane." I said as I pushed her closer to Crane. She had frozen too. When they were right in front of each other. "Crane, Lu, Lu, Crane. Now everyone knows each other," I said excitedly. This lightened the nervous air around them. "So Crane tells me that you use to know him way back," I started as we headed to the barracks' kitchen.

"Yeah, before he went to the training academy to work, we um... we use to date each other. But we both decided to break it off because I wanted to become a master. We lost contact after that," She replied almost timidly. Crane held one arm with the other.

"So how long are you staying here," I asked.

"Actually," She said quite reluctantly. "Demi told me to stay here." _Thank you, Demi. Never thought I would think that._ I thought to myself.

"So are you liking your stay," I asked.

"Well, I like the village so far. The people are very friendly," She replied.

"Are you far from family," I questioned.

"Not really. My family's just a few cubits from here, actually. I just needed to be somewhere else because of my job," She answered.

"So Crane," I said, trying to get him to say something to her, "do you have anything to say to Lu?" He was quiet for a while.

"Hi," was all he said. I facepalmed myself. This had to stop.

"Okay listen," I started. "I know, Crane knows, Lu knows, and everyone in the whole Jade Palace knows that you two are nervous. You guys have dated before so it's like meeting a new old friend. It's awkward. But you're not dating." _Yet_ "Right now, you're just friends. So stop being so uptight and nervous." Crane and Lu looked at each other and chuckled a bit. Then they full-on laughed. I guess laughter is the best remedy.

"Oh man, I've been such an idiot," Crane sighed.

"It's fine. I was nervous, too. Let's start from square one," Lu suggested.

"Okay, Hi, I'm Crane and you're very pretty," Crane said quite honestly. I was about to facepalm myself again, but Lu laughed.

"Hello, I'm Lu and you're very handsome as well," She replied. So that nervous spell was over as they chatted in the kitchen. I decided to leave them alone, so I teleported back to the house, again, lazy. Tigress was still there.

"Why are you still here," I asked.

"I didn't think you would take long. Plus, it get's a little boring without Po around," She replied. I shook my head with a smile.

"You like the panda, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes, I do like having him around," she said evasively.

"That actually makes me ask another question. What kind of relationship do you have with Po?" I questioned. She thought for a moment.

"I... I don't know. I've never actually thought about it. Mmm," She thought about it. Just then, we heard the door open. I saw Krystal try to sneak into the house, but when she noticed us she knew she was caught. Krystal was covered completely in what looked like black soot.

"Don't. Even. Smile," She threatened. I tried to hold it in. I really did, but it was too funny. I laughed out loud while Krystal punched me repeatedly to shut me up. "Stop laughing! I know I look a mess."

"What happened," Tigress asked.

"Mr. Ru has a friend that works as a blacksmith, Mr. Kia. So he asked me to go over there and help him. IF you see smoke when I got there," She said dramatically. "I could hardly tell the person in front of me was a pig. So I helped him, but what I didn't know was the soot was collecting on me. It wasn't until I started climbing the mountain that a child said, 'Look, mama, there's a black panther in the Jade Palace.'" I was rolling. "Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry black panther. I MEAN KRYSTAL!" I snickered as she punched me again. Tigress smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you two to clean up Krystal," She said as she left. Krystal cutely pouted as I still laughed.

"You have to admit you look very... interesting," I said.

"Just stay here until I get clean," she grumbled. So I did, but I started to think. She said someone named Kia. I remember Kia from one of my stories. He was someone who took Monkey and Crane in his house in _A Month_. That got me thinking. When Krystal came in, I rushed up to her and hugged her, taking her off her feet and swung her around before putting her back down. Krystal was a little dizzy. "Okay, what was that for?"

"You just helped me to figure out what to do in this situation. I know how to get Po and Tigress together. This is the plan." I explained my plan to Krystal. She lit up with excitement.

"That's perfect!"

"I know," I said smugly.

"Why didn't you come up with it in the first place," She exclaimed slapping my arm.

"I... I was... grrr! Just stick with the plan," I sighed. Krystal smiled.

 **to be continued.**


	23. Stumbling over Love

Stumbling Over Love

* * *

"You want me to work at the goose's shop," Tigress asked.

"And you want me to work at this Mr. Kia's place," Crane asked.

"Yes," I nodded, "Mr. Ru's friend is in desperate need of help and-"

"I will NOT be covered in soot again," Krystal insisted. I rolled my eyes as Tigress snickered.

"Anyways, Po's been away on the mission Master Shifu sent him on. By the way, does anyone know where he sent him?"

"No, Master Shifu wouldn't say," Tigress replied.

"Okay, I'm getting off topic. The point is these people need some help. Will you help," I asked. Crane shrugged.

"Sure, I'm not really that busy," I said nonchalantly. I looked over to Tigress.

"What about you," I asked.

"I'll... think it over," She replied. I nodded.

"Well, Crane, since you've already decided, you can go to Mr. Kia. Krystal will show you where it is," I explained passing the responsibility on to Krystal. "As for you, Tigress," I said as the others were gone, "I do have a question for you. It's referring to the Incident. Why did you tell me? Why not Po?" Tigress was silent for a while.

"Po means well and he has a great heart. But something just tells me that if I told me he... he wouldn't be right. You understand what I'm saying?"

"I think. Anyways, I was just wondering. You've known me for only a while," I replied.

"I know, but there's something about you that seemed... very trustworthy," She answered. I smiled and nodded. That was right.

"Anyways, when is Po suppose to come back?"

"He's supposed to be here soon with a prince. I don't know who," Tigress said. I just shrugged as we headed in the direction of the Hall of Heroes. It was there that we saw Po was back and he brought two friends with him. I instantly knew who they were.

"Prince Zan and Ai!" I shouted with excitement, calling attention to myself. I bowed before them. "It is so good to see you."

"Um... you too," Zan replied. "I'm sorry for being frank but... who the heck are you?"

"This is Master Lion, the Lion Warrior. And I'm sure that you've already met Master Tigress," Master Shifu explained. Tigress stood there in shock.

"No," she said in denial, "This can't be the duck I trained when he was little." Zan smiled. No, he smirked! I never thought I would see Zan's signature smirk. It's a lot more irritating in person than you think. Zan was different, however. Tall like Crane, wore a red robe with a headband on his head, slick-back head feathers, pointy-ended, orange-rimmed gray feathers, and green eyes. This was the Zan I wrote about. The one I actually spent a lot of time designing even a picture of. And Ai looked very familiar. In fact, she looked just like Lu, with the exception she had a black strap around her waist instead of a pink one. She is actually a lot shorter than Lu, though. She came to Zan's chest where Lu came to the top of Crane's neck. They even had the same eye color.

"You know," I said out loud, "You look a lot like one of my friends here."

"She does doesn't she," Po added, "I thought it was just me."

"Who does she look like," Tigress asked. I told her to examine her closely. Then it dawned on her. "Yes, she does look like her?"

"WHO!" Exclaimed Zan and Ai. Just then, Lu came into the Hall of Heroes. Lu and Ai saw each other.

"Lu?"

"Ai!" Lu screamed as she ran to her and hugged her. "I can't believe you're here."

"I can't believe you're here. In fact, what are you doing here," Ai questioned.

"Can someone help me," Zan butted in.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Zan," Ai apologized, "Lu and I are sisters. She's actually older than I am."

"Don't use the 'O' word," Lu rebutted.

Ai laughed, "Anyways, I was young when she had to go away. It's so good to see you again. You need to visit more."

"Oh sure, and you have been home too, being married to Zan and all," Lu retorted. Zan cringed as Ai flinched.

"We were hoping to tell them... delicately," Zan replied.

"Married!" Po exclaimed. "You two are married!"

"You escorted them and you didn't pick up on this," I mentioned.

"Well, I-"

"How old are you," Tigress questioned.

"Old enough to get married," Zan sighed.

"And are you loving it," I asked in a teasing manner. Zan blushed as Ai became shy. "I'll take that as a yes." Tigress got a little closer to Zan.

"You mean to tell me that this is Zan," Tigress asked in disbelief.

"You're still on that," I asked. "Now, why did you call them here, Master Shifu?"

"Well, it's been a while and he has been asking to come here. I thought he would help everyone relax a bit," he replied. I looked at him questionably. "I'll talk about it later," He whispered to me.

"So anyways," I said, "Why don't you, Zan, Ai, and Lu get acquainted and brush up on old times, Tigress. Po, you can rest," I instructed as everyone went to their places. I went close up to Shifu. "Explain."

"I think Zan, being a child... well, childlike, would help Tigress some," Shifu said. I understood now. Then I remembered something.

"Master Shifu, would you be willing to give Tigress to the right person?"

"Why would you ask something like that," He asked almost infuriated.

"Let's say the person is someone like Po," I said. Shifu calmed himself.

"I've... considered it. Po does have a good heart," Shifu smiled.

"I hope," I muttered.

"Why do you say that," he asked.

"There is... a possibility that Po's life here as made some... difficult past memories, but I don't know what," I replied.

"Po?"

"Everyone has their breaking point," I said sadly. "BAH! I can't take this downed behavior. I'm going to check out the others." So I did. Zan was ecstatic to see Tigress again and Lu and Ai were chasing up on old times. But where was Po? I looked into the barracks to see a sound sleep panda, quietly mumbling about some food. I shook my head. So I went back to the kitchen where Zan and the others were. "Well, it's good to see everyone's getting to know each other." Then something dawned on me. "Wait, since Zan's a prince, and you're her sister, doesn't that make you some type of royalty, Lu?"

"Eh somewhat. It really means if I need some money, Ai only has to smile," she replied. Zan grumbled.

"I'm not that persuadable," he insisted.

"He really isn't," Ai said. "He's smart, smarter than a lot of the people in the court, and doesn't give up easily."

"Just like his babysitter," I eyed Tigress.

"So sis, Zan was talking about you and Master Crane going out," Ai smirked. Lu blushed.

"We've... dated before, but we're just friends for now," Lu said.

"For now," Ai, Zan, Tigress, and I all repeated. Lu just rolled her eyes.

"We're just catching up. It's been a long time since we've seen each other," She replied.

"How was dating Crane anyways," Tigress asked. The whole room looked at her. "Just curious." We all blinked. "Seriously! Just curious."

"Um... anyway, it was good actually. We liked each other a lot and we hung out a lot. It was interesting, to say the least."

"Why don't you continue," Zan suggested. Lu blushed.

"I just got into town. I wouldn't know what to do," Lu explained.

"I do," Zan exclaimed.

"Oh no," I sighed.

"I have a great idea to get you two together," Zan said. I motioned Tigress to come outside the kitchen while the hybrid bird talked to Lu. We walked towards Po's cabin.

"Well, it looks like your little child is... very interesting to say the least. You'll be okay with Crane and Lu getting back together, correct," I asked.

"Of course, he and I are in the past," Tigress said, mistakenly loud. Suddenly, Po popped out of his room with wide eyes and a childish smile. I could see Tigress's face filled with shock and dread.

"You and Crane DATED!"

"Shhh! You little marshmallow!" I exclaimed covering his mouth. "You want the whole palace hearing!?"

"Po, listen to me carefully. If you tell anyone, I will make your life a living nightmare. Understand." Now Tigress usually glares at someone with her sharp teeth, glistening in whatever light they're in when she threatens people. This time, however, she had a bright calm menacing smile that scared the heck out of me! I could feel Po's shaking in my hand that was still over his mouth. Po just nodded as I released his mouth. "Good, now if you'll excuse me, I'll be exercising. And remember our little agreement, Po," She said in an almost singsong teasing voice. Po and I just stood there amazed as she passed us both.

"Whatever you're teaching her in the social department, is definitely working," Po gulped.

"Hehe," I laughed nervously. "Well, just keep your promise and you won't have to worry about that." Leaving Po to his fear-ridden self, I went to talk to the tiger. "Why?"

"Why what," She asked so innocently.

"Why did you threaten Po like _that?_ " I clarified.

"Well, I've seen Krystal do it on you and it seems to work very efficiently. Plus, the social protocol would suggest that Po is used to my style of threatening. So I have to change it," Tigress explained.

"I don't like the idea of having to threaten Po. I believe that Po will do anything you ask if you just ask him," I suggested. Tigress seemed to think about it.

"Maybe you're right," She replied. I looked at her. "I have to apologize to him for scaring him, don't I?" I nodded. So we went back to the panda's room, where he was actually sleeping again. "Oh well, he's sleeping, might as well-"

"Get your tail in there," I commanded her. She groaned as she inched further to the sleeping panda. I could tell that Po was sleeping again. He moves very awkwardly when he sleeps.

"Hmmm mm hmm," He mumbled in his sleep, "Tigres." That caught Tigress's and my attention. Why would he be dreaming of Tigress? Tigress dismissed it, but just as she was about to shake him awake, it happened. Before Tigress could react much, Po launched up, grabbed Tigress's face, and kissed her.

You know that feeling when you've opened your eyes too wide? That's what I was experiencing. The kiss lasted three seconds before Tigress punched Po awake. "Ooh, my stomach," Po exclaimed, now fully awake. Then he realized that Tigress was there, with wide eyes and jaw open. Mine was too. "Hey guys, what's wrong now?" Before Tigress could say anything, I covered her mouth. I did not think I would have to do this with HER.

"Nothing, Tigress wanted to say she was sorry for threatening you and she wanted to apologize. Now just please keep your promise of not telling anyone about Crane and them, okay," I quickly said. "Good? Good. Now Tigress and I will just be leaving," I said rushing her out the door to the courtyard.

"Um..." was all Tigress could manage to say.

"I saw nothing, you did nothing, and he doesn't know anything. Let's just keep this between you and me." _And about 500 other people reading this,_ I thought to myself. Oh, there was no way I was NOT going to put this in the journal.

"O... okay," She said a little unsteady. I tried to look her in the eye but she was staring at the ground with her hand on her lips.

"Are you going to be okay," I asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I... I just need to get some training in," she said. And she walked away after that.

* * *

Have you ever heard a silent excited scream? Yeah, I thought I wouldn't either, but Krystal was able to scream at a level that I'm sure only dogs could hear in my world. "Are you done," I asked.

"You mean they actually-"

"Accidentally kissed," I replied.

"Still kissing. How did she react? Did she kiss back? I know it was romantic," Krystal asked excitedly teeming with a bouncy behavior.

"No, actually, she punched him in the gut. I told you he was sleeping," I said. Krystal's face fell.

"Aw man, I was hoping for something more... special," She complained.

"Oh, it was special alright," I said, "First time I've actually seen someone kiss someone in their sleep," I said as I wrote in the journal, "But let's keep this a secret. And no telling or pestering Tigress. She'll kill me if I told you. And DO NOT tell her that I wrote it in here."

"You, the mighty Lion Warrior, are afraid of a female tiger," Krystal teased.

"Yes," I nodded with a smile. "Because they can hurt me in ways a male couldn't."

"How?"

"You don't want to know," I shivered.

"Hey, doesn't Tigress have to work tomorrow at Mr. Ping's?"

"Yes," I replied. "Why?" She stared at me with a face that suggested that I already knew the answer. "Oh no."

 **to be continued.**


	24. Date Night

Date Night

* * *

"I've never seen a tiger work this hard with her tail literally tucked between her legs," I commented. Krystal glared at me. There Tigress was rushing about from table to table with a heavy shade of red over her face, trying to avoid Po. Po, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Of course, we knew, but we weren't going to tell him that. But luckily, Po's happy, childish, and loving nature soon eased her mind and she was able to work more efficiently. That was until we heard a loud boom coming from the other end of the village. "We'll check it out," I said as Krystal and I ran towards the towering billow of smoke. It wasn't long until I realized that this was Mr. Kia's shop where Crane was supposed to work. We saw that the smoke was coming from the back. There we could see Crane on a rock with his face full of soot and a pig laughing.

"That be too mush you put in there'," He laughed, "Next time you'd blow us an' the world' wit you." He had a thick accent. I still don't know what accent it sounded like.

"What was that," I asked.

"Aye, wee bit too mush black powder," Mr. Kia explained.

"GAH! I don't think blacksmithing is my thing," Crane said.

"Oh, posh! There be nothing to it. Just a small mistake is all," Mr. Kia said, patting him on the back, "Noe, let's get that face of yours clean." So they went to wash their faces.

"Are you sure that this job placement will work for them," Krystal asked me.

"Why do you doubt it so much," I questioned.

"Because you're putting these people in places that usually will give them anxiety," She explained. I rolled my eyes.

"It worked in _A Month._ Why not now?"

"Because we're not in that story!"

"Well, it can't hurt, can it," I replied. Then there was a crash from the side of the village where Mr. Ping's shop was. "I stand corrected." We ran over to the shop where we could see, Tigress on the floor with a tray on her torso, with Po at her feet. No customers were there to see them, and several plates were broken and smashed. "What happened," I wondered.

"Po slipped," Tigress replied simply. Krystal and I helped both of them up.

"Hehe, sorry about that Tigress," Po apologized.

"It's okay," Tigress said.

"While you two are apologizing to each other, you might as well sweep up," Mr. Ping said, presenting both with a broom. The two groaned and grimaced.

"We'll be gone. Bye," I announced before they could say anything. Once we were up the mountain, we went to the barracks, where we saw Zeng and Ai just staring into Viper's room and just shaking their head. Once we looked inside, we were just speechless. Viper and Mei-Ling who came back had put Lu into the plushy-est, poofy-est, most eye-catching outfit with heavy white makeup and a big mark of lipstick on.

"Well," Viper smiled.

"She looks amazing, right," Mei-Ling said. I was about to say something, but Krystal stopped me.

"Lion, please be careful about what you're going to say. Make sure it's sensitive," She instructed me.

"You worry too much," I said as I approached Lu. "Lu, I'll give you a mirror. Then you tell me, from what you know about Crane if you seem okay." So I water bent a frozen mirror. She jumped back at what she saw.

"I look... hideous," Lu remarked.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," I said.

"Are you saying we're bad make-up artists," Viper asked with a venomous stare.

"No, I just presented the woman a mirror," I said in a defensive manner. "Besides, would you honestly think CRANE would date someone who looked like that?" The two considered it. Then they looked at Lu. They proceeded to push me out and fix Lu's look. It took shorter than I expected, but there was a lot of ruckus and noise. Then the door opened up again. All of the makeup was off of Lu's face and she was in a simple red vest with a black flower pattern. I nodded, Zan smiled, Ai was excited as well as Krystal. "Now we're talking. And why are we so formal today?" Lu glared at Zan, who whistled inconspicuously.

"Zan arranged Crane to take me on a date," Lu grumbled.

"AAHHH," Krystal and I said at the same time.

"That would explain the explosion," I said.

"What explosion," Everyone asked. I told them.

"Oh my gosh! Is Crane okay," Lu asked.

"Yeah, but he may smell like smoke on your date," I laughed. " He was probably trying to make something for you. Where are they going to be dating?"

"At Mr. Ping's shop. Po's going to be the waiter," Zan explained.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It isn't, but I'm just being hopeful," Zan smiled.

* * *

So later in the day, the two lovebirds met and went down the mountain, and I was imperative to spy on them. "No one is to bother them," Zan instructed everyone. "Tigress and Po will be working the kitchen. I do not want any more possible mess-ups, understand?" So I grumbled in the kitchen of my house, trying to figure out a way to spy on them. I needed to see how Tigress and Po would act in this situation. Krystal poured out my tea.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're worrying about these two too much. Can't you just peek into their minds to figure out what happened," Krystal asked.

"I could, but I would rather have their permission. This way I don't," I replied.

"Well, too bad you're not a ghost. Then you could become invisible," Krystal said putting the dishes away.

"That's it!" I exclaimed. "Krystal, you're a genius." I kissed her on the cheek and literally disappeared.

"Lion? Where are you," She asked, but she bumped into me.

"Right here," I said as I turned visible again. "Now I'm off." I teleported to the low roof of the shop where Lu and Crane were just coming in. I turned invisible and watched as the two sat down.

"And what would you like to eat this fine evening," Po attempted to say in a pious way. I shook my head. _Po, don't do something stupid now, please,_ I thought to myself. Luckily, Tigress pulled him away from them and took the couple's order. I moved to a spot of the room where no one would bump into me. I listened to Tigress and Po's conversation. "What was that for? I was only taking their order," Po argued.

"Po, they don't need to feel embarrassed by someone else. They already have their nervous natures for that," Tigress jested, but Po was still upset.

"You think I would embarrass them? I'm not that much of a klutz," Po protested.

"You just slipped this morning," Tigress replied with a smile.

"Your point," Po said. Tigress shook her head as he realized his mistake. "So... what was it-"

"I thought I told you never to bring that up," Tigress quickly interrupted him.

"Well, I was just thinking," Po said.

"That's what usually gets you into trouble. Now give this appetizer to them and don't eat it!" Po grumbled underneath his breath as he gave the two cranes their food. "Why are you so interested in that anyways Po," Tigress asked.

"Well, I was just wondering if I could learn anything from you," He replied. I was confused, so was Tigress.

"What do you mean," She questioned. "I don't have much of a love life."

"Yeah well... I was just curious. You know me, heh," Po laughed nervously, and he became strangely quiet after that.

"Let me ask you this. Why are you asking Viper and Krystal about things of feminine qualities," Tigress asked. She could see that Po was confused. "Why are you talking to them about love life?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Po sighed.

"I... I was wondering how I could become more... attractive to girls. But I've given it up a while ago."

"Why?"

"Tigress, I'm a 30-year-old panda in a small village and the person I could only marry is a female Kung Fu master. There's no way I'm going to find someone." They were silent for a moment while Crane and Lu's food was getting ready.

"You're 30," Tigress asked.

"That's what you got out of that? Yeah, I'm thirty. So what," Po muttered.

"So what? You're the exact same age as me."

"Oh, so I was close," Po openly thought.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"How old did you think I was?" Po nervously looked around for something. "Just tell me. I won't get mad," She promised though I could see Po was skeptical.

"Around 40."

"I'm NOT that old," She exclaimed though not enough to alarm the others.

"Well, I didn't know that," Po said defensively holding up his hands, "You don't really let people in much so we have to guess." This made Tigress grow quiet. "Tigress, I didn't mean to hurt you by saying you were thirty."

"It's not that. I guess... I know that you, of all people, want to help me the most, right," Tigress asked. Po nodded. "Well, there are some things that... just make it hard for me to trust people wholly."

"I know," Po replied. Tigress looked at him. "I don't expect you to tell me everything that is personal to you. But I can still help you without knowing those things." Tigress smiled.

"Thank you, Po," Tigress replied.

"Now if you're thinking of doing the same thing for me, forget it," he stated. Tigress looked at him confused.

"Why?"

"I can handle it. Plus, you know I haven't had a severe life as you guys have. It's not worth it," Po smiled back. I could see Tigress reluctantly let the matter go, but I still kept a record of it.

Oh, the birds! Well, they had a pretty interesting night. The food was excellent and nervous Crane even cracked some funny jokes. What Crane made at the blacksmith was actually a shiny small female crane figurine. Do not ask me how this lead to the explosion. All in all, they had a great time. I teleported back to the house where Krystal was wanting to hear everything. After that, I wrote everything in the book.

 **to be continued.**


	25. Character Isn't A Dress

Character Isn't a Dress

* * *

"It went good, then," Viper asked.

"Yep," I said confidently.

"I told you not to interfere," Zan protested.

"Yeah, but I didn't listen," I told Zan the next day. Crane and Tigress were down in the village.

"You're lucky you didn't mess up their dinner," Zan grumbled.

"Like I would," I smirked. Po glared at me. "Anyways-" But before I could finish, Tigress and Crane came into the kitchen. "You're here early. I thought you guys had to work." Tigress's hard look suggested something was wrong. Crane seemed like he had been running. "What's the matter?"

"There's a friend of Po's here and she-"

"Oh no," I muttered.

"She's been wondering where Po is," Crane continued.

"Don't tell me, Song," I guessed. Both Tigress and Crane were shocked.

"How did you know," Tigress asked.

"Lucky guess," I mumbled. Krystal, who was sitting next to me, slapped me over the head. "OW! What was that for?"

"For creating this mess," She explained with a smirk. I raged in silence.

"What does she mean," Everyone asked.

"Nothing, in any case, she's baaa aac CCK!" I said in a singsong voice. Then I remembered something and pinched Krystal's arm.

"OW! What was that for?"

"Do you remembered what happened in _She's Back_?" I asked. "It's not my fault anymore." Krystal just mumbled under her breath. "No need to be angry, Tigress. I know exactly why she's here," I said getting out of my seat and going down the mountain. There in Mr. Ping's shop was the pretty snow leopard. Still physically fit, she still held the umbrella from the Ladies of the Shade. I strolled up to her. "Hello," I said, quite nervous, however. Starting an introduction was always the hardest for me. She looked at me with a surprised but charming smile.

"Oh, hello."

"My name is Lion. You're new here, aren't you?"

"A little bit. Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if I could help you in any way," I replied.

"Oh no thanks, I'm actually waiting for one of my friends."

"Po?"

"Yeah, how do you know him," She asked surprised.

"Everyone knows the Dragon Warrior around here, but I know him personally. I'm his trainer and his good friend," I finally introduced myself.

"Nice to meet you, Lion. My name is Song," she said bowing as I did the same.

"Song? The Furious Five, especially Viper, Crane, and Tigress, tell me of a beautiful charming snow leopard named Song who was also a part of a gang of thieves." I could tell she was nervous. "Is it true?"

"Well, yes, but I've changed since then. A lot," Song responded. I laughed.

"I can tell. Don't worry, I know you've changed. What I really want to ask is why you're here," I asked.

"It's kind of personal," Song said placing her hand on her belly.

"I understand. And am I right to understand that you're married to a kung fu fighter," I asked.

"Yes, Qiang. He's a gray wolf. How do you know that."

"He's the Lion Warrior," Po said from behind me. "He's studied us for a while so he knows a lot about us. It's good to see you're here." While they got caught up, I had to see Tigress. I found her punching her hardest at some wooden soldiers. I shook my head. As I approached, she slowed her punches. "You know, everyone knows that you only punch them that hard if you're mad."

"Why would I be angry? Because I know that Po is going to let in a former thief just because she has a pretty face," She said with a testy attitude.

"You're right. And I think she would qualify for a wife for Po since she practices Kung Fu... in a way."

"Exactly," She said in a quiet rage.

"So, are you jealous of her," I asked.

"I'm NOT JEALOUS OF HER!" She exclaimed as she 'killed' the wooden soldier. I just stood there with an unchanged look. She stubbornly crossed her arms and looked away.

"Well good, but she's married to someone else. And... if I'm right, she's pregnant. That's why she wants to see Po. Her husband is on the battlegrounds fighting," I explained.

"Really," Tigress asked quietly. I could almost see a smirk on her face.

"Yep, but it's sad really. That was my last hope for Po. Maybe he doesn't need to be in a relationship with anyone," I said. I could see Tigress was anxious. "Something wrong, Tigress," I asked.

"Nothing," She replied. "I... I'm just going to work out some more." She did, but her strong punches were replaced by weak ones. It looked like she was thinking more than training. Then suddenly, Krystal rushed into the Training Hall, took me by the arm, and dragged me back to the house. She locked the door and stood in front of me.

"Well," She urgently asked.

"She's married and pregnant. There's no way Po's going to get in a relationship with her," I replied.

"Good," Krystal sternly said.

"Why are you so stubborn about it," I asked.

"I just want to make sure that they do get each other and Song would be a horrible addition to the mess we already have."

"Yes, it has gotten very crowded around here," I said thoughtfully.

* * *

About two days after Song arrived, Tai-gee and his family came back. "Master Swordsmen," I started, "Emperor Lee and Empress Mai are leaving to Japan today. I want Saber and Mei-Ling to go with them as escorts. Meanwhile, Leo and Miwa will return to their kingdom. They will be returning back to Tigress's parents. I want Nelon and Tai-gee to go with them and bring them back safely. They are considered fragile cargo. Do not tell anyone of this mission. I want it to be a surprise to Tigress."

"Will do," Tai-gee saluted. And they were off. Then I went to Viper, where Tigress was with Krystal.

"What are you doing here," I asked.

"We're actually trying out dresses for Tigress," Viper said. This stumped me. "Yeah, it puzzled me, too."

"For what," I questioned. Krystal and Viper looked to Tigress.

"Well, I... have always lacked feminine characteristics. So I want to see if I can change that."

"Okay," I said slowly, "But why do you have Viper doing it?"

"Hey, what happened with Lu was Mei-Ling's mistake," Viper defended. I rolled my eyes. "The problem is that I don't know what dress to give her."

"I do, but we'll have to make it."

"What do you know about fashion, Lion," Krystal asked.

"Nothing, but I know what men will like. First, we'll need lots of red cloth, then some golden silk strings. That should do it. Now, this is the design that I have in mine," I said as I explained the design. Soon, they were off to work. They took measurements of Tigress, and then pushed her out of the room along with us.

"I'll be at the tailor is you need me. Bye-bye," Viper said and then went away down the mountain. I strolled off to the Training Hall with Krystal holding my arm.

"Why did you really want to try out the dresses, Tigress," I asked her. Krystal looked at her too with questioning eyes. Tigress's eyes darted around the room as we entered the Training Hall.

"I already said, I want to explore... what normal female wear and how they act," Tigress struggled to say.

"Tigress, you're not normal," I simply said as her ears sloped down. "But that's okay. That just means that you're extraordinary. You don't need to be like everyone else. That's boring, demeaning, and you lose yourself in the process. No, just be yourself. That's what makes every person unique. That's what makes Krystal her."

"That hasn't gotten me far," Tigress replied.

"There are too many fake people in the world, Tigress," Krystal assured her. "We need more people who embrace their personality, not what people demand of them. There are too many people who rush to be the best of their career rather than the best of their character."

"Just be... natural," I said.

"That's the problem," Tigress said sadly, "I've been conditioning myself so much to be a warrior that I don't know how to be my normal self."

"You'll learn," I said reassuringly. "So, for the most part, you don't have to worry about what people want." Just then, Po rushed into the room to see us.

"Bandits."

"Meet me there," I said as I teleported to the place. "Ah, if it isn't Tong Fo, the gang boss." There stood the... whatever he was with two gorillas and Fung's group.

"And who the heck are you," He asked.

"They call me Lion," I smirked.

"Well, Lion, you might want to get out of my way before you become...very damaged," Tong Fo said as one of the gorillas cracked his knuckles. I forced him back with a big puff of wind, sending him crashing into the outskirts of the village. I got into my stance.

"Come and get me," I taunted. The next gorilla came at me. I smacked him with a large slab of rock. "Next."

"Um... I'm going to go," Fung said. I disappeared and reappeared in front of him. "AHAAHA!"

"Bye!" I smirked as I lifted him up and threw him clear across the town.

"DARN IT!" He screamed.

"If you want something done," Tong Fo said as he was about to attack. I dodged his flying kick, grabbed his foot, and slammed him to the ground. Tong Fo got up and punched me and continued trying to punch me as I dodged each one. Then I forced him back with a puff of air. I made the ground swallow him up to his neck. "This does not please me," Tong Fo grumbled. Only then did Po and the others show up.

"Couldn't you have waited," Po complained. Monkey and Crane struggled taking Tong Fo out of the rock. So I moved him out of the ground surrounded by his rock restraint and they took him to the prison. I decided to swing by the shop where Mr. Ping was.

"Ohh, Master Lion! How is my best customer," He asked.

"Mr. Ping, I'm only your best customer because I pay the best," I replied. The money was coming from generous donations people gave me for them. Plus, and I don't know how Demi managed to do this, I have a forever replenishing storage of money at the end of the journal. There's a little compartment at the end of the book and it was a bag of the yen. "I'll just have the usual cup of tea," I said, sitting at my usual table. So I sat there waiting for the others to come back when they did, it was only Monkey, Tigress, and Mantis. Their conversation was interesting, however.

"You're kidding me, Tigress," Monkey said.

"I'm serious," Tigress replied.

"Since when did you get into stuff like that? Not that it will do you any good," Mantis commented. Tigress glared at the little bug and seemed like she was about to jump him.

"What Mantis is trying to say is that you don't have to participate in those things. It's... well... just not something I thought you would do," Monkey explained.

"What are you guys talking about," I asked.

"Tigress told us about her idea of becoming a girl," Mantis joked.

"Grrrr!" Tigress growled.

"She just wants to seem more... feminine, but we're trying to talk her out of it," Monkey said.

"Why," I asked. I wasn't getting on Tigress's side, I was just wondering why THEY didn't want her to be more feminine.

"Well, to be perfectly honest it would be a bit strange," Mantis admitted, "I've always looked to Tigress as the strong one in the palace."

"I didn't think you could be soft," Tigress muttered.

"But it is true," Monkey joined in, "We do see you as the emotionally strong one and the idea of you... changing to something that people think you should be is never good."

"Okay, okay, listen. We all respect Tigress's wishes and thoughts. If she thinks this way, let her think that way," I told them. "Now, I want you two to look after Song. She's at Mrs. Yun's place." With that, Monkey and Mantis left as Tigress sat next to me. She sighed.

"I don't know why I told them."

"They're right, you know," I said sipping my tea.

"I thought you were on my side," Tigress complained.

"I'm on the side of truth. Tigress, do you even like the idea of having to change?" She shook her head. "Then why change to this? Now, if you wanted to be kinder and gentler than I'd be totally behind you. You'd be changing for the better. This, this isn't necessarily for the better. This is because society seems to favor people better when they're like that. But society has very rarely ever known what's best for itself. You just do you, alright." She nodded, but I could see she wasn't really listening to me. Then Krystal came in. I spent the next hour talking about the two tigers. Just then, Viper slithered in with an excited smile.

"The dress is ready," she said.

"Really? That was quick," I commented.

"Come on," Viper said.

"Wait! I know what to do. Everyone grab hold of me. Viper, just curl around my neck," I said. They looked at me with strange faces, but they did it anyway. Then I teleported us right into Viper's room. "Did it work?"

"You say that like you were expecting it to go horribly wrong," Krystal wondered.

"Hehehe," I laughed nervously.

"Nevermind that," Viper said, "Put the dress on. You two, out!" So we waited outside Viper's door. Just then Zan came.

"What are you two doing outside," He asked.

"The dress is finished," I said. Then the door opened up. There stood Tigress with the beautiful red two strapped dress and the shining golden flower pattern wrapping around the front and back.

"Well," Tigress asked.

"Beautiful," Krystal said excitedly.

"Amazing," I smiled.

"Great," Zan smiled with a thumbs up. "Now, what are you going to use it for?" Tigress scratched the back of her head nervously.

"I was just wondering if you could make a dress for me in... emergencies," Tigress said.

"Like what," I asked.

"You never know," Tigress replied. I shrugged and left to the kitchen, where Po was.

"Hey, why do you seem so bummed out," Po asked.

"Tigress wants to be-"

"Nothing!" Tigress interrupted, who barged into the room with her normal clothes. "It's nothing!"

"You mean about her wanting to be more girly," Po asked. Tigress glared at me with both fire and daggers.

"Ya ha ha!" I exclaimed. "I didn't tell him!"

"I was eavesdropping," Po explained. "You guys don't really say things quietly. I don't think you should worry about it, Tigress."

"Why not," Tigress asked.

"I've been trying to do something like that for a long time." Tigress and I looked at each other.

"You've been trying to be a... girl," I asked.

"No, trying to be someone that I'm not. It's what happened when I first got here. I thought I could change into something that wasn't me. I thought Shifu could help me. You remember Tigress," Po said, surprising her. "I knew you were on the roof listening to the whole thing." Tigress looked away a bit ashamed. "What I'm saying is I know what it's like. Yeah, you could be kinder or less hot-tempered, but being someone you're not, isn't what people are designed to do. They're made to be real." Tigress smiled.

"Thanks, Po," She replied. We looked to the doorway to see Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Krystal, Zan, and Crane.

"What's up, guys," Po asked.

"Your dad actually wanted some help with the loading," Monkey said.

"Well, see you guys later," Po replied and went out the door. The rest all looked at Tigress.

"What," she asked.

"You wouldn't listen to me, you wouldn't listen to Monkey, Mantis, and Viper, but you would listen to Po," I said, plainly.

"Well, I wanted to get some advice from... someone knowledgeable." I raised my hand. "Who's more like me." Krystal raised her hand. "Who's a male." Zan raised his hand. "Who isn't married." Crane raised his hand...er, wing. "Nor in a relationship!" Monkey and Mantis rose their hands. "I got what I needed from Po okay?!"

"Uh-Huh," We all said.

"I'm out," I said disappearing into my house. I wrote everything in the journal.

 **to be continued.**


	26. A Geeky Cook

A Geeky Cook

* * *

"So what's the difference between a nerd and a geek," Krystal asked. Krystal, Song, Po, and I were relaxing at Ru's house. Ru had gone to visit a friend's and he wanted us to house-sit, that is Krystal and me. Po and Song came along because Song said she needed the exercise and Po had almost become the woman's midwife. Anyways, I was explaining to them the difference between a nerd and a geek when Tigress barged in. I would have said 'strolled' but the way she opened the door wasn't really a 'quiet' way.

"Po-"

"Shhh!" Krystal hushed, "Lion's telling us something." Tigress begrudgingly sat down... right next to Song. I could tell Song was uneasy, Tigress was hostile, and Po was blissfully oblivious and curious about my conversation.

"You see, a geek is a genuinely enthusiastic enjoyer of knowledge. He knows things like the back of his hand and freaks out, much like Po, whenever he sees or experiences something like it," I smirked as Po just glared at me. Krystal, Song, and even Tigress were lightly giggling. "Anyways, a geek can actually be a very beneficial person to have. They have a wide knowledge of particular things, they often know how to get out of situations and other predicaments, and they are the easiest one to train if you know how to." I could see Po's demeanor change to one of pride. Tigress rolled her eyes at the sight.

"So what about a nerd," Krystal asked.

"A nerd is seen as a know-it-all, who constantly talks about some subject even when others have completely no interest. It's like when Po constantly lectures on things that aren't Kung Fu at all," I smirked while Po glared at me again.

"You just like rising and destroying my pride, don't you," He muttered.

"Pride leads to destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall," I replied with a smile. "Anyways, nerds just talk too much and can most times be obnoxious and annoying. Whereas geeks can actually shut their mouths."

"Sound like you, Po," Tigress teasingly asked. Po made a face.

"But, if not treated well, geeks can become... well... bad," I said struggling for words.

"For example," Krystal continued. I wished she hadn't.

"For example, the thieves of Goo-Lang," I explained. It was interesting to see the change of attitude in the room. Song was curious, Tigress was oblivious to Po, and Po was the one who seemed hostile and uneasy.

"What do you know about the thieves of Goo-Lang," Po asked. He knew that I knew about him, but he didn't seem to care.

"Well, these thieves use to be very young kids, but like so many people who are seen as outcasts, they were picked on and treated badly."

"How awful," Song said sadly.

"Well, what goes around comes around. These two or some say, three kids, became experts in figuring out ways to pickpocket people and steal. But the weird thing was that they started to steal from people they didn't like, who were often rich bratty kids, and give the items they stole to pawn it off and give the money to less fortunate people," I said.

"So they took from the rich and gave to the poor? That seems fair enough," Krystal reasoned. The entire room looked at her. "I said 'seems'."

"Anyways, they started to get better and better at their little skill. They got so good that they could steal the pants and shirt of any person they wanted. But they would always give the money to the poor. They wore black suits to blend in with the night. The people who tried to pursue them would always see them disappear around the temple of Goo-Lang. They were the top thieves. And as quickly as they appeared, they suddenly vanished. That's the legend of the Thieves of Goo-Lang."

"Wow, you really tell the best stories," Tigress said.

"It wasn't that great," Po muttered.

"Something the matter, Po," Krystal asked.

"I... I just don't see the whole thrill of being a thief, especially one that could steal robes and people's socks," Po remarked.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with Song," Tigress pointed out.

"Can we leave that in the past," Song added.

"I agree," Po said.

"Actually, I would think you would have some kind of pride seeing that you were one of the thieves," I explained. Song and Tigress gasped while Krystal glared at me. I knew I shouldn't have told them, but they needed to know.

"You use to be a thief?! Now wonder you were attracted to Song," Tigress said.

"Seriously Tigress, please stop that," Song reiterated, "But how could you be one of the thieves?" Po was silent for a while.

"Like Lion said, it was a tough time," Po simply put.

"Why didn't you tell us," Tigress asked, seemingly hurt.

"I don't think you would have accepted a thieving panda. You barely accepted _just_ a panda," Po replied.

"Why didn't you tell us afterward," Tigress rephrased. Po was silent for a moment.

"I... I didn't want to disappoint you guys. I mean, like that. I didn't want you guys to see me as a...crook. Plus, there was just something inside of me that said you wouldn't look at me the same way."

"So you never reframed from saying it because you didn't want to lose your title," I asked.

"I could care less about my title," Po snapped sharply. "I was... I was more worried about the fact that you guys wouldn't like me anymore."

"Oh Po, your friends will always be there for you. No matter what you've done," Song said. She elbowed Tigress in the ribs while Po wasn't looking. Tigress glared at her but Song glared back. I guess she wanted Tigress to say something to him.

"She's right Po. It doesn't matter what you've done in the past. What matters to us is that we can help you and do care about you. We may not know all about you, but we can learn," Tigress said actually smiling at the end. Po smiled back.

"Anyways, Tigress what did you come here for," I asked. She nervously scratched her head.

"Um... I forgot," she lied.

"Well, I should be going back home. Why don't you come with me Master Tigress? We can probably help you remember what you forgot," Song said smiling like a little deceitful child. Tigress managed to force a smile. As they exited the door, I smiled.

"I'm going to like these two. I really am. Po, go after them so they don't kill each other," I said.

"Tigress wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman."

"You don't know that. You really don't know that!" I answered. He stood up and went to the door. "But Po, you should tell them more about you and the past. I would hate your past to affect them in any way. And Tigress does speak the truth. They do care about you. So I would tell them because the more time you don't tell them, the more you will end up hurting them." Po grimly nodded as he left. Then Krystal punched my arm hard. "What the freak, woman!"

"That's for telling them about Po."

"I didn't know if it was true or not. But I was right about what I said. OW!"

"Oh stop being a baby. That barely hurt the 'All-powerful Lion Warrior'," Krystal muttered.

"ALMOST all-powerful! Your punches still hurt! OW!"

"Get used to it," She shot back. I grumbled under my breath as she smirked at me.

"Come here you," I exclaimed as I tackled her to the ground and tickled her senseless.

* * *

It was the next day we noticed something different about Po. We just couldn't really put our finger on it. He was talking, he wasn't sad or anything. He seemed to be his usual self. It was by suppertime that I realized what was wrong with Po. The Furious Five, Krystal, Po, Song, and I were eating at my house. I was in the middle of eating my homemade bread when I stopped myself and said to Po, "Why are you so quiet Po?" While Po had been talking, he wasn't talking as much as he usually would. At the shop with Tigress, he would just ask simple short questions and give simple short answers or greetings. Tigress even told me she didn't know that Po was in the shop half the time because of this. Po only shrugged.

"No reason," he said simply.

"Are you sure," Krystal asked.

"Yeah, you haven't said much today. I keep forgetting you're here at the table," Mantis stated. Po rolled his eyes.

"So what? The first time I decide to shut my mouth for a while and you guys don't like it," Po said a little annoyed.

"We're not saying we don't like it," Tigress said, "We're just a little concerned." Po shrugged.

"I decided not to talk. What's so interesting about that," Po said. The way he said it wasn't really allowing for more questions, so Krystal decided to talk about something else.

"This is a very great dinner you cooked for us Po. Everything is wonderful," She commented.

"Thank you," Po simply said. Then an idea came into my head.

"Po, who does the cooking in the Jade Palace, besides you," I asked.

"Zeng, sometimes Viper and Crane," Po answered shortly.

"Hmm, could you teach Tigress to cook," I asked.

"No," The reply was short, sharp, and didn't leave room for argument. I laughed as Krystal took over.

"Why not?"

"She nearly burned down the kitchen the last time she cooked. Since that time, we said, 'never again.'" I could see Tigress's sour face.

"It wasn't that bad," Tigress said.

"Oh it was bad," Viper agreed. "The soup had a copper like taste to it. Come to find out, she accidentally used an old copper spoon to stir the soup. Crane nearly didn't make it." I was snickering the whole time.

"Did you, at least, try to teach her," Song asked.

"Oh, we tried," Monkey said, "Viper failed, Crane couldn't do it because he was still weak from the soup, Zeng would not do it because he didn't want to get poisoned." I laughed.

"Couldn't you have stayed on the topic of why Po wasn't talking," Tigress growled.

"I could have but this is funnier," I laughed.

"So why not you, Po," Krystal asked.

"We didn't think of asking Po because... well we didn't think Tigress would have the patience for it," Viper carefully said.

"Wise decision," Po said.

"You could teach her," I said, "It's just like Kung Fu."

"Kung Fu and cooking are two different things and I treat them that way," Po reestablished.

"Listen, you said that she needed to get out more. What's different about this? Plus, might I remind you that she's working in your father's kitchen. What happens when he needs a cook and you're not there?"

"There is nothing you can say that will make me teach her," Po firmly said. Tigress spoke up.

"Po... I do want to learn. There are some... social graces that I don't know about yet. You would be a great teacher to teach me. Please?" Po looked at her soft kind smile and couldn't break free. He sighed.

"Fine. We'll start tomorrow," Po said.

"Good and Song can be the one to taste my food," Tigress said with a devious smile.

"Oh no! I'm not going to get poisoned by you! Po's going to be your test dummy, not me," She protested. I laughed.

"I really am going to like these two," I said to myself. I smirked at Po when the two cats were finished with their food and gone. Po grumbled lowly.

"I said, 'there is nothing YOU can say that will make me teach her'. I didn't say her," Po answered. While he and I cleaned the table as the others went out, I asked him again.

"So why were you so quiet," I asked.

"Lion," He groaned.

"Just be honest," I said. He was quiet for a moment.

"I was thinking about what you said the other day. Most times, I am a nerd and I don't know when to shut it. I just wanted to try to be silent for a change."

"Follow your own advice," I said. "Don't try to be someone you're not. Besides, I think you're actually more dangerous when you don't speak and all you do is think in that head of yours," I said as I poked him in the forehead. He playfully swiped my hand away as he left the house, leaving Krystal and me alone.

"Well, that was eventful," she said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. There's been a lot of things happening," I replied as I went to my room to write the day down.

"Is it me or is Crane starting to get darker because of the soot? He seems to smell more and more like smoke," Krystal said.

"He works at a blacksmith what did you expect," I asked as she hit me in the head with a pillow.

"You think Po will be able to teach her?"

"Nothing is impossible," I quoted.

 **to be continued.**


	27. Crazy Day

Crazy Day

* * *

To sum up what happened the next day would be...crazy. First of all, the day started out earlier than usual because I woke up early to see Krystal in the doorway. "Bad dream again," I asked. She nodded. I motioned for her to come over to my bed. This had become a usual thing between us though we wouldn't use the master bedroom. I was starting to explore my mind-reading powers on Krystal. I wanted to figure out why she was having these bad dreams. Come to find out, she didn't have them. She had only the first one and ever since she's been using it as an excuse to sleep beside me, not that I mind. I enjoyed the closeness. But she actually woke me up near sunrise, so we didn't have much time to relax. We were up and out just as she was getting into the bed it seemed. As we were eating our breakfast, I said, "I know that you're not having these bad dreams." She was, of course, shocked.

"How did you-"

"I was looking into your mind trying to figure out a way to stop those bad dreams from happening. I didn't want to intrude on your thoughts, but when the bad dreams wouldn't stop, I wanted to help. I'm sorry I intruded on your mind," I said ashamed. We were silent for the most part.

"When did you find out," She asked.

"After the fifth time," I replied. She smirked.

"We've been just sleeping in the same bed for at least twenty times. Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I liked the closeness," I answered, embarrassed. She blushed. "Look, I'm sorry I went into your mind without permission. I promise it won't happen again."

"Unless it actually happens again," Krystal smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to help," I repeated. She smiled as she kissed me on the forehead.

"I know you. It's fine. You can look into my mind any time it's necessary," She smiled. I was suspicious.

"Why do you say that," I asked.

"Because then you can know what's bothering me when you forget my birthday or anniversary," she smirked.

"I knew there was a catch," I mumbled. "Wait, Po has to teach Tigress today, right?" Krystal nodded. "Where are they?"

"They're at Ru's place. Don't mess anything up, Lion," Krystal warned.

"My dear, where's your faith in me," I asked. She pointed to her rear end. "Sorry, I asked," I said as I disappeared and reappeared at Mr. Ru's place, where Po was cleaning up his face. The kitchen in Ru's place was a mess! purple foam-like stuff was splattered all around. "What happened?"

"She added vinegar," Po sighed. Tigress was on the floor helping clean up. "Can't you get rid of this stuff or something?" I waved my hand around and the purple stuff magically floated off the floors, doors, and other places and landed right in the trash outside. "Thank you. Now Tigress, let's try again, but, this time, less... explosive." So she did. She was trying to make soup, but she was having problems following Po's directions. The next batch she made seemed like it was about to come alive. I threw it out the door.

"Maybe I wasn't made for cooking," Tigress gave up.

"You are. I need to figure out a way to teach you, is all," Po said thinking to himself.

"Has it occurred to you that this is Tigress we're talking about," I said.

"I know that it's going to be tough," Po replied.

"No, listen very carefully to what I'm saying. This is _Tigress_ we're talking about," I repeated. Po thought for a while before getting it. He ran out the door and returned shortly with a bag full of shortly cut paper.

"What are these," Tigress said looking at some of them.

"It just dawned on me that you're not like me. I learned to cook by feeling. I would put a pinch of this, a dash of that, and never really use any measurements. But you're different. You work with what's in front of you. Here's the recipe for the soup we're making. Try and make it now." So she did, this time, it didn't blow up or come alive. Tigress tasted some of it.

"It needs more pepper and bamboo," she said. This shocked Po and me.

"You use bamboo," Po asked.

"Yeah, don't worry, I won't make it worse," She replied. Soon the batch was ready. Po bravely took a sip... and then gulped the whole thing down. I did the same.

"Amazing, absolutely amazing. Well done," I said congratulating her.

"So I have to learn by recipes," She asked.

"For the time being. Soon, you'll be able to _feel_ what you create. But now, let's go to the shop," Po said. So we cleaned up the place and left to go to the shop, where Song was. Unfortunately, today I was not in the mood to see these two fight.

"Po, get to the kitchen and start cooking," Tigress said. "I'll talk with Song."

"Behave," Po warned as he went to the kitchen. I sat down next to Tigress and Song. I was actually on the side and they were facing each other, menacingly.

"Why are you here, Song," Tigress said, trying to sound sweet.

"Oh, I was just wondering where Po was. You never know what might happen to him," Song returned sweetly.

"I would love stay and see you two fight, but I'm not in the mood," I grumbled. "You two need to get over yourselves. Song, you're married to Qiang for Pete's sake." Qiang was a wolf instead of Tigress's father who was a tiger. "In the meantime, you guys fail to realize that the panda you're fighting over or whatever matter you are fighting over, you do not know it completely."

"We're not fighting over Po," Song said.

"We're not," Tigress asked. Song and I looked at her with a smirk. "I mean we're not. What we're _discussing_ is the fact that she's staying here and the fact that she stole from the palace."

"That's in the past. Let. It. Go," She said sternly.

"Then why come back here," Tigress asked.

"Because I need some help with the baby and Po and the others, including you, came first to my mind," Song exclaimed. This took Tigress for a loop.

"You mean... you wanted us to help you take care of the baby," Tigress questioned.

"I wanted you and Po to help me with the baby. I... I actually wanted to make you two, the godparents," Song confessed. This made the two quiet for a while.

"I'm... sorry for everything," Tigress apologized.

"I'm just at fault as well," Song replied.

"So what were you thinking of naming the baby if it's a girl," Tigress asked.

"I was thinking of Lily but then I like Tigress," Song said with a smile.

"How about Yuwang," Tigress offered.

"I like it. What about if it's a boy," I asked. Song smirked.

"I was thinking of Fang Po," She said. I laughed while Tigress was confused.

"You're mean," I snickered.

"Fang Po? Who's that," Tigress asked.

"There's a fun little legend about the Dragon Warrior not being a normal person. They say by night or at will, the Dragon Warrior could change his state to triple his strength and do other amazing things," I explained.

"Someone took this legend and put it into a story where Po was a white tiger called Fang Po," Song explained.

"So you're going to name him after some kind of... creature," Tigress wondered.

"It's more of an irritation to Po," I clarified.

"I think I should help Po," Tigress said, seeing that Po was having trouble keeping his plates balanced. I talked to Song while Tigress left.

"Why did you want Tigress AND Po to be the godparents," I asked. Song rubbed her arm.

"Well... I always thought he would marry Tigress. They seemed like they would be great for each other," Song explained. I sighed.

"You and me both," I said. "I want to see those two together as well, but given the circumstances, I don't know if anything can bring them together." Just then, Master Shifu rushed in.

"Lion, Tigress, Po, you're needed at the Shire house immediately," He said importantly. So we rushed over there, leaving Song, to see a young goat lady crying.

"What happened," I asked frantically.

"They took my baby! I was just standing here with the basket and turned to shut the door when they took the basket," She replied, hysterical.

"Who?"

"I don't know! I didn't even get a look at them," She cried. I looked at the road.

"Okay, this is a busy street, they could have blended in with the others," I said. Then I looked at the ground. There were heavy footprints near where the lady goat was standing and they led behind the house. "I know where they are," I said pointing to the tracks. "Let's go!" So we were off in the rush, following the footprints. When the prints were gone, I switched the smell. That's when I noticed something weird. "These are wolves," I said.

"Okay, great! Now where did they go," Po hurried.

"How could no one see a wolf? From the smell, there were a lot of them, right here," I explained. "There's no way she could miss them." Po looked down at the tracks.

"These seem like they were a while ago. Like forty minutes. I also see some goat tracks," Po said.

"So you're assuming that the lady was lying? Why would she do that," Master Shifu said. "Look, there are multiple goats around here. It must be one of them."

"Yes, but the tracks lead in the direction of the wolves. Plus, there's no way she couldn't have, at the least, heard the baby scream," I argued. I thought about it. "Who's at the Jade Palace right now?"

"Krystal, Lu, Mantis. Monkey wanted to help Crane with the blacksmith and Viper wanted to go back to the tailor," Po explained.

"Come on, let's go back to the Shire house," I suggested. When we got there, the goat lady was gone. I looked on the ground and saw her tracks. They led straight to the Jade Palace. "The goat didn't have a baby stolen. She was trying to get us away from the Jade Palace!"

"We've already lost too much time. We need a fast way up there," Po said. I nodded.

"Everyone, grab hands," I instructed. With that, I teleported us right into the Jade Palace, where Krystal, Lu, and Mantis were having a hard time combating all the wolves.

"Where's the goat," Po asked.

"We'll worry about that later," I snapped. I teleported into the closing ring of wolves and forced them back. One wolf tried to punch me. I grabbed his hand and while another wolf attacked, I whipped him around and threw him at the other wolf. Tigress, Master Shifu, and Po quickly joined in the fray.

"I had them," Krystal said.

"Oh sure," I remarked, hitting a bandit in the face. He twirled around before landing on the ground. "You nearly getting caught is your usual way of winning." A wolf charged at me with a spear. Krystal jumped over me, grabbed the spear from the wolf, and whacked him with it until he fainted. Krystal smirked at me. "Show off," I scoffed, as I hit a bandit behind me. "Alright, this is gone on long enough," I shouted. As I raised my hands, an iron chain wrapped around them and pulled me down. I looked at the person holding the chain to be the goat lady herself. "I remember you. You're the master of the iron chain." She smirked evilly.

"Sorry you couldn't find the baby," She said as the bandits started to surround me. "But it's the thought that counts."

"Yeah, and it's the material you use," I said. I grabbed the chain, electrocuted her and as she released her grip on them, I swung the electrified chain around the ring of wolves, shocking them into peeing themselves. We were finally finished. I picked up the Iron Chain lady by the top robe. "Next time, don't do evil," I smiled. She just groaned and fainted. Viper, Crane, and Monkey came back and took all the wolves and the Iron Chain, as I call her, to jail. Krystal looked at me.

"So you can shoot lightning too," She said.

"Hey, I'm finding out new things about myself every day," I shrugged. "Master Shifu, can you and the others handle this?" Master Shifu nodded. "Good, you-"

"Whoa!"

"Are coming with me," I smirked as I took Krystal in my arms and teleported back to our house. I gently laid her down on the ground. As we ate in the kitchen, I told her about the day.

"So, even Song thought they would marry each other," Krystal repeated.

"Yep, and thanks to me, they are starting to like each other," I sighed.

"And what about her cooking," Krystal asked.

"She's getting better," I replied.

"How did you know the lady was lying. I didn't know you were that good at solving things," Krystal commented.

" _Clue,"_ I explained simply. She was confused for a moment, but then it dawned on her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about _Clue,_ " She said. "Yeah, that was horrible." My face fell but I was still laughing at her honesty.

"You know... you're mean," I chuckled.

"It was. The clues were obvious. And when you attempted to make another one it just fell apart. The crimes were very unlikely, and the ending of the second was... anti-climatic and didn't make sense."

"Critic," I muttered playfully.

"I don't mean to hurt your feelings but still," Krystal said.

"No, you're right. I've looked back on the story and it didn't really go the way I thought. But there are other times for other stories." Krystal stood up and brought her dish to the sink. She kissed me on the forehead.

"Well, goodnight. I'm going to hang around Tigress for a bit. She hasn't had much female company lately," Krystal said.

"And that's my fault I'm guessing," I smiled. She just shook her head smiling and went out the door. After I ate, I wrote all these things in the journal.

 **to be continued.**


	28. Nung-Ha

Nung-Ha

* * *

The next day, Krystal woke me up early to tell me what happened between Tigress and her. I wrote it down. Krystal was going to the Jade Palace where she found Po doing Kung Fu moves with the broom. It wasn't until Po hit himself with the broom that Po found he was being watched because of Krystal's laugh. "Oh, Krystal," He said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Tigress," She explained, and Po pointed the way to her location. She found Tigress in her room at the barracks with a sad face. "What's wrong?" Tigress instantly tried to buck up and change her look as to not attract attention. Too late.

"There's nothing wrong," She said emotionlessly. Krystal looked at her with disbelief. "I'm serious. Nothing's wrong," She reiterated.

"I know you're lying. I don't need Lion's powers to know that. What's up," Krystal came again as she rested on the floor. Tigress was silent for the moment. "Is it about Po?"

"Kind of," She practically whispered. "But not in the way you think." She paused shortly. "Song said that she wanted us to be the godparents."

"Yeah, Lion told me. Good to know that you'll have a little child around, right?"

"Well, it's not the child I'm...agitated about. She said she wanted us to be the godparents. If I know anything about social cues, that means that she expected for us to be... together."

"Or she might just want a firm grip and a tender hand for godparents," Krystal said. She knew that she couldn't be extra joyous that Tigress was upset about this. It showed that Tigress was thinking about her relationship with Po, but Krystal had to be careful not to be excitable. Tigress shook her head.

"I doubt it," Tigress explained.

"Why are you worried about that," Krystal asked.

"Because," Tigress struggled to say. "I... Lion asked one time what my relationship with Po was...and then he said that I didn't know much about Po. And that's the problem. I don't know much about Po. I just learned that he was the same age as me and that he was a thief at one time. What else do I not know about Po? I thought Po and I were close, but this whole thing with Song has led me to rethink how close we are."

"I thought you didn't want to worry about how close you were to others," Krystal said.

"Why are you and Lion the same," Tigress said, raising her voice a bit. "I DO care about Po."

"I didn't say you didn't."

"Yes, you did. You just said it differently than Lion did. I do care about Po!" Krystal was silent. She could see Tigress was a little angry still.

"And the others," Krystal asked. Tigress sighed.

"Yes, but... especially Po," Tigress replied.

"Tigress, you're always going on about how relationships aren't needed. Why would you think that we would think you cared about relationships, much less Po?"

"I guess Lion was right. What I present, people will think."

"So how close to Po do you think you are," Krystal asked. Tigress thought about it.

"I don't know. Friends, but I don't think we know each other like friends. I didn't even tell Po about the...incident. You think I should tell him?"

"I don't think so. You two have to get closer in order to do so. That is... if you want to," Krystal said. Tigress looked confused. "I always thought that you... didn't necessarily care for Po, I mean in the sense of a very close friend."

"I...Because of what happened, I don't let people in much," Tigress struggled. "He's a good friend but-"

"You don't know him much," Krystal guessed. Tigress looked ashamed with her ears stooping down. Krystal laid her hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Just be patient and you'll learn more about him," Krystal assured. Then their conversation ended as Krystal left Tigress to her sleep.

"Wow," I said as I realized what I wrote. "I didn't think that it plague her mind so. Thanks for telling me it." Krystal kissed me on the head. "You know, I really like your kisses," I said with a corny smile. Krystal grabbed my lion nose and shook it around a bit.

"Flirt," Krystal smirked. "I'm going to Ru's house with Tigress. Maybe I can get them together," She smiled.

"Good luck," I called out as she went out the door. After my breakfast, I decided to actually go to the Training Hall where I would see Master Shifu with Crane and Lu. "Well, what are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much," Lu said. "We were just talking about your friend Demi." I didn't get angry as I usually do. I just rolled my eyes and sighed. "There are some questions we have."

"Okay, like what?"

"What is Demi's purpose," Crane asked.

"Demi... well, let's start from the beginning. Demi's real name is Dimension Ripper. He's a magical being that is able to open different portals to different dimensions and parts of the universe," I explained.

"So why did he choose you," Lu asked.

"I have no idea," I sighed. "I was just a student going to some school. I wanted to be...actually, I still didn't know what I wanted to be."

"What do you like doing," Lu asked.

"Goofing around, writing, eating, and helping people," I said.

"Why don't you become a doctor or a self-esteem writer," Master Shifu suggested.

"You know, everyone wanted me to do that. But I hate blood," I laughed. They all laughed.

"So Demi has dragged you into this for what," Crane asked.

"It was to see if my... theories on... strengthening Tigress and Po would work."

"And are they," Master Shifu asked. I shrugged.

"It all depends on what theories he decides to make come to light," I replied. We continued talking for a while before Krystal came in with the most scared timid look I've seen. She came to me as Po came running behind.

"Krystal wait! I can explain," Po said. Krystal ran right behind me, almost using me as a shield against Po.

"What's wrong," Master Shifu asked.

"Nothing, it's a misunderstanding," Po said as Tigress came in also.

"How could what the person said, be a misunderstanding," Krystal cried out. Po looked ashamed.

"It isn't what it seems like, Krystal," Po tried to reach her, but she retracted behind me. I stopped Po.

"What happened," I asked.

"I...I can't tell you," Po said, brushing Tigress aside and walking out the door. I looked at Tigress.

"Can you please explain to me why Krystal is afraid of this lovable panda," I asked.

"We were going into the village when some bandits were attacking this traveling duck. Once we defeated them, the duck was thankful, especially of Po until he seemed to recognize Po. He was afraid, but the weird thing is he called him-"

"Nung-Ha," Krystal whispered. My heart sank to the floor. I couldn't be mad at Po, it wasn't his fault. I could see Tigress and the others were confused.

"When Krystal heard that, she ran away from Po. Who's Nung-Ha and why is he associated with Po," Tigress asked. I could feel Krystal shaking behind me.

"For the life of me, I can not tell you. Not now. Come on, Krystal. Let's get you home," I said. I teleported her and me to our house. I tried to put her in her room, but she insisted that she stay my room. She rested on the bed while I wrote down what happened. When Krystal woke up, I could feel her glare on the back of my head. I turned around to see a death glare that could rival Tigress's.

"Why did you write Po like that," She asked. I sighed. Many have a misconception about marriage. That it's all about love and kisses or physical intercourse and that's it, and thank heaven it is some of that. But it is also struggle and strife. I could say that I wasn't guilty. That it was Demi's fault, but Demi got the idea from my ideas. Though it was indirect, I was responsible for Po's condition.

"It's my fault," I said sadly, "I didn't want any of this. I didn't think that he would actually have this hard life."

"But why would you write him like that anyways," Krystal repeated.

"I wanted to pay them back," I said in a quiet rage. "From what I could see, I knew that Po must have been teased and picked on because of his appearance and his weight and character. I wanted to pay them back. To show that every action, every word has a result or consequence. I felt sorry for Po being treated that way. And I knew, from many instances, that people can only take so much. And I hypothesized that Po's would be the worst because he was the most caring, loving, patient person." I began to calm down. "But after reading what I wrote, I knew that it would be horrible to have someone this way. Someone, who is picked on so much that when he snaps, a whole village is affected. Children become depressed and sad. Women get rejected continuously. Bandits are nearly killed or to the point of death. A psychological gloom cloud hovered over the people. He didn't sleep or eat and was merciless. That scared me. But I didn't think it would ever come alive." It was silent for a moment. Then Krystal put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she was smiling again.

"It was your fault to some extent. But ultimately, it's the village's fault for picking on Po," She assured me. I sighed. "But you have to tell Po about it."

"How," I asked.

"Simple. You teleport to where he is, say 'hi', and apologize," She smirked. I sighed. She was right. With that, I teleported to the Heavenly Peach Sapling. I had to be careful not to step on it; it is really tiny. Po was sitting on the cliff with his feet dangling in the air.

"Hey," I said. Po sadly looked at me and just turned back to looking at the abyss.

"I'm guessing you're here to say that I lied to you? To be honest, I didn't think that's what you meant. Sorry for lying," Po said. I sat next to him.

"It's me who should be asking your forgiveness," I said.

"Why," Po replied not looking at me. I struggled to speak.

"I... use to write about you guys back in my homeworld. I use to write stories. I wrote this one story about Nung-Ha."

"So?"

"Demi... told me when he cast me here that my stories would come alive. Basically, if I hadn't written the story, you couldn't have been Nung-Ha," I explained. I looked at him and he stared at me with a shocked face that slowly grew into anger.

"So... you're saying that you are responsible for my life being a complete disaster. You're responsible for me snapping and making everyone's life in the village the worst thing they've ever experienced!" he exclaimed. "And you didn't think that Demi would bring that to reality!?"

"I'm sorry, Po. I didn't mean to make your life hard. I just-"

"You just what?"

"I just thought that being who you were that you would have a lot of people picking on you. I felt that you would snap and that result would punish the people who offended you," I sighed. Po turned his face away from me. It was a long time before I heard him sigh.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not. You just gave a name to it. Even if you hadn't written it, I would have still had a hard life. I don't know if I would've snapped or not but... it's ultimately my fault for snapping. I should have just told my dad or someone before I snapped. You just gave a name to it," Po said. I looked at him with his bright usual smile. You would be surprised how easily that smile can be missed. "So what does Nung-Ha mean?"

"Hehe, funny story... um... I wanted the name to mean 'deadly tiger' in Chinese," I said. Deadly tiger in Chinese is "Zhìmìng de lǎohǔ", but you can see for yourself why I didn't choose that. Nung-ha is actually Vietnamese (as detected by Google translate). Po shrugged.

"So what now? Should I tell the others," Po asked.

"I don't know. I think you shouldn't, but they will ask and probably get the story from somewhere else. What I'm worried about is Tigress," I said. Po's head snapped up at that. "She's the one that cares most about you."

"Really! I mean, really? I mean rally. I mean-"

"I think I know what you mean," I laughed. "I'm just saying something like this might make her feel guilty about how she treated you when you two first met."

"You're right. But what about when someone tells them."

"For the most part, that traveling duck, who I know is gone since he saw you, is the only one that knows about Nung-Ha. So there's you, me, Krystal, and I think your father. Most people who know about Nung-Ha, I think, have died or have moved away. Plus, it's really a bad memory. Not many people are willing to tell it."

"So I just tell the others that I don't want to tell them? It's a bit shady don't you think."

"You can tell them when you want," I said. "I'm just making suggestions. I am sorry Po."

"It's alright. I forgive you," Po smiled. I wrote all these things in the journal.

 **to be continued.**


	29. The True Life of Po

The True Life of Po

* * *

You're probably wondering how anyone can remember all these things precise enough to write every single thing. I noticed that too, and I've deduced that Demi gave me another power: Expanded memory. Anyways, after yesterday, Po, Krystal, and I tried to explain to the others that Nung-Ha was a part of Po's history that he nor anyone else wanted to dive into. It was just something that they had to accept of Po and not bring up. Well, I thought that everyone would do that. I was wrong in Tigress's case. "For the last time, Tigress, stop asking me. Don't you have some customers to attend to?" I said after four days of Tigress's pestering. Tigress was in Mr. Ping's shop working. We also told Mr. Ping not to tell. Po was in the kitchen but couldn't hear what we were talking about.

"I just want to know," Tigress came back.

"I know you want to know, but you're not gonna know," I smiled at her pouting face. "Tigress, it's a personal thing that Po wants to keep secret. If I remember correctly, Po is also keeping a secret that you have with you and-"

"Okay, okay," she said shutting my mouth with her hand. "I get it, but I want to know so I can help Po."

"Right now, you can help Po by cleaning table seven. The customer just threw up. Hey, you haven't been cooking have you," I smirked. She glared and growled at me as she went to her work. I enjoyed five minutes of peace before she was at my table again.

"Okay, I ask Mr. Ping to give me the rest of the day off. Now tell me," Tigress pursued.

"Ugh," I groaned. I walked out of the shop with Tigress on my tail as we went to the Jade Palace.

"Please tell me," Tigress stopped me, growling a bit.

"Threatening me is not going to work," I said. "Tigress, you're asking me to betray Po's trust. That's if I were to betray you. No. Why can't you just get the story from Po?"

"Because he would never tell me," Tigress replied.

"Do you know that for a fact?"

"Well, no... but the likelihood of him telling me is slim. Plus, I don't want to force it out of him."

"Don't you think he'll feel hurt if I told you," I argued. Tigress thought about it.

"You're right. I can't know."

"Then don't ask me."

"But I want to know."

"Then ask me."

"But I-"

"You see the vicious cycle you're in, right," I chuckled. "Just leave it alone, Tigress. It's a part of Po's history that he doesn't want to share."

"But I want to help him," Tigress said.

"Why," I asked.

"Because... he's always helped me," She whispered.

"I know, but this is something that you're either going to have to ask Po, or find someone to tell you. Until that, you're on your own." With that, I disappeared into my house. "Oy, I have to start walking up those stairs. I'm starting to gain some weight I think," I said to myself. I went into the house, expecting to find Krystal, but I couldn't find her. However, she could find me. The tigress pounced on me from the ceiling, tackling me from above. "Ah, there you are," I laughed. "Can't say that I haven't missed this."

"You're saying you like me pouncing on you," Krystal teased.

"A little, you little tyke," I laughed as I tickled her near her neck. She lightly chuckled as she calmed down. I smiled as I looked her in the eyes. She really was beautiful. Most people seem ordinary when they're up close. Krystal was different. I might be saying that because of what happened next. Neither of us realized that we were slowly closing the gap between our faces. Before I realized it, I was kissing her on the lips. I... don't want to get into much detail. It's... a marriage thing. We didn't stop until Lu and Crane came through the door, seeing us on the floor. There was an awkward silence.

"We'll just be outside," Crane said shutting the door. Krystal immediately jumped off of me. We just stood there awkwardly looking at each other.

"Sorry," Krystal whispered.

"No need. It's... expected of... married couples, right," I reasoned.

"Right," Krystal replied. "We better get to Crane and Lu."

"Yeah, but Tigress's right," I said. Krystal looked at me with a quizzical look. "I really need to find a lock for that door." Krystal giggled. We went outside to see the two birds waiting for us. "Now, aside from what you just saw, what's new?"

"Um... Nung-Ha," Crane more asked than stated. I rolled my eyes.

"I told you guys, I'm not talking. You have more luck getting it from Po than me," I said. "And while you're at it, tell Tigress that she's not getting it from me!" And I went back inside the house. I wrote some in my journal. I was coming to the last part before Krystal stormed in.

"Do not write about what just happened," She said in a billowing smoke of threatening rage.

"Oh come on, was I that bad," I joked. Krystal looked away embarrassed.

"No, you weren't. I just don't want people to know about... how it happened," Krystal said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Demi won't publish this thing," I replied. That seemed to settle her. It was only later when we got back that we both decided to publish the thing. Just then, Po came into the house. "At least knock!"

"Sorry, I just want to talk to you guys about... Nung-Ha," Po said. Krystal and I looked at each other.

"What about it," Krystal asked.

"I know that everyone's been asking you for a while about it," Po said. It was true to a certain extent. Tigress had managed to ask Lu and Crane today. But that was just today. Two days ago, she convinced Viper, Monkey, Mantis, Sarah who was still here in the village, Master Shifu, Zan, Ai, and even Ru to ask us.

"Not everyone. Just Tigress manipulating everyone. It's getting hard to keep this secret, Po," I said.

"I know, which is why I want you to tell them," Po said. Krystal and I were confused.

"Why do you want us to tell them," I asked.

"Because... I just can't bear to look them in the eye. I didn't tell them because... I didn't want them to be ashamed of me."

"They're not going to be ashamed of you," Krystal replied. "They're probably going to be ashamed of themselves."

"Which makes it all the worse," Po said. "Which is why I want you to tell them. Please." I eyed Po carefully.

"Which action figure is your favorite," I questioned.

"Tigress," Po responded.

"Who messed up when Master Yao was let out, you or Shifu?"

"Shifu."

"Okay, so you're not Tigress in disguise," I murmured. Po stood back up.

"I'll be at the Sapling if you need me," He said, exiting the door.

"So... the truth comes out," Krystal sighed.

"Let's go and get this over with," I said.

* * *

I had all of them sit in the barrack's kitchen. I needed to make sure they were sitting for this legend. "You're probably wondering about the legend of Nung-Ha and how he's associated with Po," I started. "Let me rephrase that. Tigress has probably _made_ you interested in the legend." I eyed Tigress's scowl. "Anyways, it doesn't start out pretty."

"We want to know in order to help Po," Viper said sweetly. I smiled.

"I know, but hear the story first," I said. They all became quiet. "Po's childhood wasn't the most... ideal. He was picked on a lot because of his weight and other things. However, he had a kind sweet personality. He would often help senior citizens, babysit children of homeless people, and do other acts of kindness under this oppression he was suffering. He was about sixteen or seventeen when there was a dance festival down in the village, and he managed to get the prettiest girl to go out with him. He went there with his best robes. However, when he got there, the girl was dancing with someone else, her supposed ex-boyfriend. She told him straight to his face that she just went out with Po to make her boyfriend jealous. Almost everyone laughed at him. Po finally decided to go back home. On the way, it started to rain and storm. Mud kicked up onto his suit as a fast-moving cart dashed by. Then some bandits beat him up and threw him in the garbage."

"That's horrible," Song said.

"It got worse. When Po came back, he didn't smile, he didn't laugh, he was an empty walking person. This was Nung-Ha. He was emotionless, cold, and empty. He showed no amount of affection or love. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep well. It was terrible. Because he didn't eat much, he lost a lot of weight, near to a skeleton. Oh, but the bullies didn't pick on him anymore. He would fight and fight back hard. He would sometimes nearly kill the people. The children use to be laughing with Po. Now, they were only extensions of Po's depression. All the ladies started to ask him out because he lost weight, but he would coldly reject them. Even the girl that dumped him at the dance festival was rejected and had to go to prison because she couldn't accept being rejected by the panda."

"Why jail," Monkey asked.

"She started to become reckless and went into denial," I said. "Anyways, you get the picture. He snapped. For two weeks this went on."

"What stopped it," Master Shifu asked.

"I don't know. One day, Po was just back to his regular self. But the village treated him a lot better after that. Many people simply don't talk about Nung-Ha because they're afraid that he will return. There are some that still pick on Po, but the village does a great job now of protecting and standing up for him because they know what he's like when he's angry."

"Why wouldn't he tell us," Viper asked.

"Because of how we were when he first came here," Tigress said solemnly. I sighed.

"And that's why he didn't want to tell you guys. Because he didn't want you guys to feel bad about it."

"But we weren't any different from the people who picked on him," Viper said sadly.

"Look, obviously, Po doesn't want you guys feeling bad for him. So do him a favor and stop acting so ashamed. You didn't know. You've already asked Po for forgiveness and you don't need to feel bad about it because you didn't cause it," I said very bluntly. "Listen, Po cares about you guys too much to see you guys down like this."

"I guess you're right. Thank you for telling us, Master Lion. We'll be sure not to mention about it anymore," Shifu said. I looked at Tigress, but she was gone. I sighed.

"And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a tiger," I groaned, disappearing to the Training Hall. Tigress wasn't there. I looked around the whole palace grounds. I eventually ended up where Po was. "Hey."

"How did they take it," Po asked.

"Pretty well. They started to feel guilty but I told them to suck the mess up."

"You told it to them that bluntly," Po said surprised.

"Of course not. What I'm really here for is to find Tigress," I said. Po looked at me with worry.

"Where is she?"

"She left when I finished telling them the story of Nung-Ha. Now I can't find her."

"Why don't you try to sense her," Po suggested. I facepalmed myself. "You didn't think of that?"

"Shut it you," I retorted. I sensed her at the top of the steps of the Jade Palace. I could also sense Song with her. "Okay, she's with Song." Po was about to get up, but I stopped him. "Don't worry, Tigress won't hurt Song. Not now," I said with a smile. "Let everyone heal for a while. It's a lot to take in." Po nodded.

"Thanks, Lion," Po said.

 **to be continued.**


	30. Unintentional Hurt

Unintentional Hurt

* * *

There was something very strange with Tigress the next morning. Po couldn't find her. We had all seen Tigress training, cleaning, working at the shop, but she and Po couldn't be seen in the same room, it seemed. Every time Po thought he found her, she was gone. There was one time we were eating breakfast, Tigress was right next to me, but when Po came into the room, she suddenly vanished. How she managed to disappear when we were all there was something I couldn't figure out. By midday, Po had come to my house sadden and defeated. "I can't find her anywhere! I think she's hiding from me," Po said frustrated. I sipped my tea.

"I'm sure she's not meaning it intentionally," Krystal sympathized.

"What about you, Song? You were with Tigress the other night. Do you know what could be happening?" I asked.

"She was just sad. She kept blaming herself," Song simply stated. I saw Po's light go off.

"You don't think she's still blaming herself for this, do you?"

"I hope not," I sighed. "But it is possible."

"I knew I shouldn't have let you tell them," Po groaned.

"They would have learned some way or another. Probably from your dad," I said getting up.

"Where are you going," Krystal asked.

"To find Tigress," I sighed. I found her at the Peach Sapling. However, I turned myself into Tai-gee to throw her off. "Hey, sis," I said excitedly. Tigress didn't move much. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She said gruffly.

"Wow, you're worse than me when it comes to lying," I said. Tigress sighed. She retold me the story of Nung-Ha. "What!? Po snapping? We're talking about the panda, right?" I needed to try and seem surprised.

"Yeah, I didn't want to believe it either," She solemnly said.

"Huh, I would have never thought he could snap. I mean, have a down day sure but completely snap like that. Wow!" I could see she wasn't saying much. "So why are you so sad?"

"Nothing," She said.

"It has to be something. I overheard Po lamenting that he couldn't find you," I said. Tigress looked at me with a strange face.

"I didn't see you here," She said. "Then again, I have been here for a long time."

"So why are you dodging my little bro," I said. Tigress sighed.

"I just can't look at him in the face and not feel guilty about it. We... I treated him so badly when he came. And I wasn't much different afterward. It's only because of Krystal and Lion training me that I've become... more sensitive to these things. I just feel so shame."

"Well running from him isn't going to help," I said. She looked at me. "You're actually hurting Po more by staying away from him. I know from experience that Po does care about you. And this is coming from the guy that didn't care about anyone at first." Tigress chuckled a bit.

"I guess you're right. I should go and apologize to Po about hiding from him," she said standing up. I could feel the smirk she was emitting from her face on my head when she said, "Oh and Lion, Sarah already told me that Tai-gee was sent on a mission and won't be back until a week from now. But great imitation."

"Dang it," I said, turning back to my lion appearance. "You just love ruining all my fun." She laughed.

"No, I just like your reaction," she said smartly. I glared at her.

"Well played tiger. Well played." She strolled away. I teleported to my house where Po was gone and Krystal was still there.

"She saw through the disguise."

"How did you know," I asked.

"I imagined you would try it sooner or later," She smirked. I just grumbled lowly as she chuckled. "Don't worry," She said kissing me on the forehead, "I know you did great." I rolled my eyes.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to figure out what Tigress and Po are saying," I said.

"Don't get caught," Krystal said as I teleported to where Po was in his room and made myself invisible. Soon, Tigress came in. Po stood up.

"Tigress, are you-" Tigress stopped him.

"I... I'm here to apologize," Tigress said.

"For what," Po asked.

"For avoiding you. I couldn't face you when I learned about Nung-Ha. I felt so guilty. I-"

"That's why I didn't want to tell you about it. It's not your fault," Po interrupted.

"I know, but we weren't much different from the people," Tigress said. Po rested his hand on her shoulder.

"You're different from others. You know that" Po smiled. Tigress smiled back

"So what happened to make you change back to your regular self," Tigress asked.

"You just keep asking questions don't you," Po nervously said, rubbing his backhead.

"Po," Tigress softly said. Po sighed.

"You promise not to hurt me or not talk to me," Po asked. Tigress nodded. "It was you." I could tell Tigress was surprised.

"M... me?"

"You were... in the woods meditating and doing some Kung Fu. This was the first time I saw you."

"But why me," Tigress questioned. Po blushed a bit.

"Um... you gave me the inspiration to be strong against those who were mean to me," Po said, a little shaky. I could tell he was lying but Tigress didn't seem to notice. Either that or she knew the real reason. "So... Thanks."

"You're welcome Po," Tigress said bowing to him. Po bowed back as Tigress left the room.

"Okay, Lion, you can come out," Po said. I was surprised.

"Am I losing my touch," I asked.

"No, I just do that ever since Krystal told me you could turn invisible," Po replied. I shrugged as I went out the door. "I do like her," Po said out of the blue. I almost didn't hear him.

"You do," I asked. Po nodded. "Is that why you really changed to your normal self?" Po hesitantly nodded. "I understand."

"Please don't tell her," Po cried out. I smiled.

"I've kept your secret about you being Nung-Ha. Why not this," I said as I disappeared right into my house. Unfortunately, I appeared right on Krystal. I was on top of her with our faces close together. "Oops, sorry about that."

"It's okay," Krystal whispered. But we didn't move. And when we did, it was only our lips. We kissed again. You're probably wondering why I'm not as detailed as usual. Writing about your own experiences is a lot... weirder and more uncomfortable than someone else. We stopped kissing when someone knocked on the door. I looked at Krystal.

"You put a lock on the door," I asked.

"Well, someone had to," She smirked. I shook my head as I helped her up. I opened the door to see Tigress with Song.

"Ah, you finally put the lock on. Good for you. Did we miss anything?" Tigress smirked.

"Not now tiger," I grimaced."What is it?"

"I would like to let you meet Qiang," Song introduced. The gray wolf had come back from the front grounds. Actually, because of the baby he had fully retired with any benefits. He had a yellowish robe on with a dark yellow undershirt. He had a sword by his side and his nervous demeanor was ever present. I smiled.

"Ah, you're the crazy person- I mean the wonderfully loving person that committed suicide- I mean married her," I joked.

"Lion," Krystal said elbowing me in the ribs. "Don't be rude. It's good to finally meet you."

"And nice to me you. I always wanted to meet the legendary Lion Warrior. Along with the Dragon Warrior, of course," Qiang said quite nervously.

"It's good to meet you, too," I said bowing. "What brings you here?"

"We were just giving Qiang a look at the Jade Palace. Song and Qiang are here to stay," Tigress explained.

"Well, good to have others in the family," I replied. When they went away, I went back inside with Krystal behind me. We acted as if the thing between us never happened. Then I looked at her. She was stacking some dishes absentmindedly. My mind race through different things. Then I said, "Do you want to go out tonight?" Krystal stopped her stacking and looked at me with a strange face.

"What," she stuttered.

"Do you want to go out tonight, like a date," I repeated.

"Um... sure," Krystal said unsure of herself. "Why so suddenly?" I stood up.

"Well, things around here have gotten all about Tigress and Po that I didn't want you to feel left out. I am married to you so I want to fill your needs, too."

"Oh, Lion, you don't have to do that," Krystal started to protest.

"Nope! You already said yes. Absolutely no take backs," I smirked. Krystal rolled her eyes.

"Okay, where are we eating," She asked.

"Well, I was thinking of Mr. Ping's but one, I don't want to mess up your or my clothes when Po trips up, and two, I can not stand to see Tigress's smirk while we're having a date. So why not Ru's place? He still isn't back from his friend's yet," I offered.

"Okay, um... I'll get something ready."

"No, no, I'll cook."

"You cook?"

"You say that like it's a surprise," I grumbled.

"Well, you know. You do all these amazing things and then you cook. I didn't know that" Krystal joked. I rolled my eyes. "What do we tell the others?"

"Tell them we're on a date," I replied.

"You're okay with that?"

"Sure."

"Okay, around sunset?"

"Around sunset." With that, I disappeared and reappeared at Ru's house. The place wasn't in a heaping mess but still needed some touch-up. So I set to work. When I was done, I realized something. I was on a date! I never went on a date. I calmed down. I needed an outfit. I was still wearing the black pants, bare chest style I came in. I so teleported to the tailor and got a different suit. A bright blue robe with black hems and borders, and a dark blue undergarment. I don't like flashy but this was simple yet elegant. I bought the suit, got back, started cooking without the suit. I didn't want to get it dirty. When sunset came, I put the suit on, teleported to where Krystal was, which was at the house, knocked on the door.

"Coming," She said. She opened the door. For a minute, I didn't think this was the same person I had been living with. She looked completely different. She had cleaned and dusted her outfit she came to the Jade Palace. The bright red dress with the beautiful golden flower vine wrapped around the dress. She didn't have any white or dark kind of make-up on, save a faint reddish lipstick on her lips. She also had a pink flower with a yellow center stuck in her ear. "Well."

"You can not be Krystal," I finally said. Krystal rolled her eyes.

"Yes I am," She said.

"No, you're not. The Krystal I know was always beautiful. You are just incredibly stunning," I replied. She blushed bright red.

"Thank you. You clean up nice yourself."

"Shall we?" I offered her my arm. She giggled and took my arm. We teleported right to Ru's house. When we went inside, Krystal sniffed.

"What's cooking? It smells delicious."

"It's a dish my parents taught me. Have a seat and we can try some," I said offering her a seat.

"Oh my, a gentleman," She smirked. "Are you sure you're Lion?"

"Very funny," I replied. I served the dishes to her and we sat down and ate. Her eyes widened.

"This is very good."

"You say that like you didn't think it was going to be."

"Well... I wasn't," she giggled at my frowning face.

"Thank you for your honesty," I groaned serving her some other foods I had prepared.

"Sorry if my honesty offends you. I don't mean it," She apologized.

"Nah, I'd rather you be honest than lie to protect my feelings. The house I grew up in, honesty is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. People in my family are not afraid to call each other fat or skinny when they are."

"Isn't that a little harsh," Krystal asked. I shrugged.

"No one in my family has suffered depression or had suicidal thoughts yet, and I have a big family."

"Do you think your family would like me?"

"They would love you. Especially with your personality," I assured her. She smiled.

"How do you think I would look like in your world," She asked. I've thought about it.

"I imagine you'll look different from me at the very least."

"You think I'll be ugly in your world," She asked sadly. I smiled.

"You know I don't care much for appearances. First of all, I've come to like you personally. Second of all, I'm sure Demi wouldn't be that mean to you." Spoiler alert: He wasn't.

"I guess. Why did you want to have a date," She asked. I nervously scratched my mane.

"Well, I... funny story. Have you ever had your brain leave you completely only to return to a mess of things said. That's exactly what happened. I've... never been on a date," I said quietly.

"I know." I looked at her confused. "You said you never had a girlfriend, so I would only guess that you've never dated." I sulked a little. Krystal smiled. "Don't worry, you're doing a lot better than some other people." I chuckled lightly.

"So, I'm the... fifth person you've dated," I guessed. She looked at me with a slightly angry look.

"Why would you think you're the fifth?"

"Well, I thought that a pretty woman like you would have men flocking to you. So I assumed that you would have more experience than me," I explained. She calmed down and smiled a bit.

"You're a natural flirt, aren't you?"

"Well, it kind of comes unintentionally."

"No, you're the second person I've dated. The village where I grew up didn't have a lot of young men to meet."

"I'm sorry for that," I sympathized.

"Don't worry, at least, I have you," She said.

"What do you mean, 'at least'," I said dramatically. She laughed.

"So-"

"You have a lot of questions, don't you?" I teased. She rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"So, why did you kiss me... twice," She asked seriously.

"Um... I thought you kissed me."

"No, you kissed me."

"The point is we kiss," I said, already seeing that this wasn't getting us anywhere. "Why is that a thing to argue about? We've kissed other times."

"Yes," Krystal said quietly, "But... not like that." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Listen, why don't we just say we were caught up in the moment," I said.

"Okay," she agreed. We were silent for a while.

"Was I... that bad," I asked, nervous.

"No, no, not at all. In fact... you're quite a good kisser," she said. That blushing feeling came on again.

"Um ... let's talk about something else."

"Sure, Tigress and Po?"

"I was hoping to get away from those two," I groaned.

"Come on, you know you love them," Krystal said. I shook my head. "You made some great food. Why couldn't you teach Tigress?"

"I... I don't want to get any more attached to her as I already am. The fact she told me about the incident really bugs me."

"Why?"

"I 'think' Po and Tigress have known each other for at least five years. She's only known me for a year and a half now. It just makes me concerned that I am getting too close to her and already have one cat to worry about." Krystal rolled her eyes and smugly smiled.

"Thanks. But maybe you just have that magic."

"Yeah, magic," I sighed. Krystal patted her lips with her napkin. "I just didn't want to be burnt by her cooking. By the way, why did you get so fancy?"

"This is nothing. I kind of feel bare."

"What do you mean," I asked.

"Well, usually people wear more make-up."

"Don't," I said. "I think outward beauty is just simple yet elegant. Of course, inward beauty is more important." Krystal smiled.

"Well, the meal was great, Lion," Krystal thanked me.

"You're welcome," I said cleaning the place up. Once that was done, I offered my hand as we teleported home. Then I started to think. "Magic," I said out loud. Krystal looked bewildered my mumbling. "Hey, what's the creature that lives in the sea starts with an L?"

"The Leviathan," Krystal guessed.

"Yeah, that would work," I said to myself. "Anyways, did you like the night?"

"I had a wonderful time. Thanks," Krystal said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I wrote everything in the journal. However, there was a little problem for the next day.

 **to be continued.**


	31. Family

Family

* * *

I went into the Training Hall the next day and found Po mercilessly punching a bag of sand; not that punch dummy that kicked his butt. "Um... Po?"

"Yeah," He grunted as he continued punching.

"Are you okay? You're punching pretty hard," I said.

"I. AM. FINE!" He exclaimed as he punched the bag right through the other wall. He was breathing heavily.

"Um... Okay. So why are you a little upset," I asked calmly though the fact he just punched the bag through a wall of solid wood was scaring me.

"I told you. I'm fine," Po replied.

"Po, come on, what's up," I asked. Po gave a great sigh.

"Tigress just told me something that was personal," Po replied.

"What?"

"I can't tell you," Po sighed. I had to guess.

"Was it the incident?" Po's head snapped up at me with shock and surprise.

"How do you know about it," Po asked. "I thought she only told me and Shifu."

"I was the first to hear from her," I explained. Then Po glared at me with a hateful look.

"Did you write about this?"

"No! No, I would never write about that. Nor have I. This was as shocking to you as to me." Po calmed down a bit. "But why are you upset? Usually, you're more sympathetic than angry."

"I guess I'm angry because I couldn't help her." I sighed.

"You didn't know her. You didn't know anything about it. This isn't your fault," I said.

"I know, but I just wish I could help," Po said looking down at the ground. I laid my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be upset, Po. You heard her and listened. That's one step to helping a friend," I said with a smile. Po forced a smile. "I'll be at the house if you need me." I disappeared but I didn't leave the room. I turned invisible as Po went back to his punches. This time with the punch dummy. He was pretty good with it until he went for a kick, which Tigress caught.

"Tigress?!" Po said surprised and exclaimed. "Can you let my foot go, please?"

"Not until you tell me why you're mad," Tigress said. Po was starting to lose his balance.

"I can tell you better if you'll let my foot go."

"Talk Po." Unfortunately, he fell down, but he took Tigress with him. Now she was on top of him with their faces close together. I could see both of them blushing, but Tigress was quicker to recover. She pinned Po down by the hands. "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

"Don't you think that this is a little... awkward position to be talking?"

"I've been in worse. Now tell me." Po sighed.

"I was just thinking about what you told me earlier today. I guess I was blaming myself for what happened. But-"

"You couldn't have done anything. You didn't even know I was in danger," Tigress said comfortingly. They stayed quiet for a while before Po chuckled a bit. Tigress looked at him confused.

"I just remember this dream where you were in my room, and I... don't hurt me. I kissed you," Po shrunk. Tigress smugly smiled.

"That wasn't a dream," Tigress said to a shocked and blushing panda, "You did kiss me in real life."

"I'm sorry," he squeaked. Tigress laughed at his reaction. They were quiet for the most part. Then, as their faces were getting closer to each other, Tigress closed the gap and kissed Po on the lips. Po's big eyes immediately shut. But when they pulled apart, Tigress became shy and embarrassed again.

"Now I'm sorry," She said jumping off of Po. Po slowly stood up.

"Don't be. I um... let's just say you were making it even," Po suggested.

"Yeah, even," Tigress said shyly, "I... um... I have to go." I teleported to the house and wrote down EVERYTHING! I decided that when Krystal came in I wouldn't let her see it. It would be a surprise.

"Why are you writing so... aggressively," Krystal said, appearing out of nowhere.

"AHHAHAH!" I exclaimed, shutting the book. This made her suspicious.

"What are you writing," She asked, trying to get the book. I pulled it away from her.

"Ah, it's a surprise for you," I smiled. She seemed excited by that news. "But no peeking," I said, putting it on a high roof beam she couldn't reach. She pouted a bit. Then I pulled out a new blank scroll.

"What are you writing now," Krystal asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about some other stories to write about," I answered.

"Really, you're going to write a story while in a situation like this," Krystal asked.

"Hey, every story must be told," I said.

"Wow, you must really like people reading your ideas," Krystal smirked.

"Oh, I don't write because I want excellent reviews," I clarified. "I write because the story I have must be told. I want to be remembered for a lot of good things, but I primarily want to be remembered. These stories help people see what I imagine, what I think, what I dream. But I mainly do this because every story should have an ending, whether good or bad. And every story must be told so that others may learn, criticize, enjoy, condemn, and be inspired to make other stories. I do this not only to boost creativity in my world but because I can't draw well, this is an avenue that I can present my ideas and dreams."

"Wow," Krystal simply said.

"Yeah, I know. 'Good speech.'"

"No, really. That's really something else. I never saw it like that," Krystal said. I smiled.

"Open your mind, you'll learn a lot better that way," I smirked. Krystal rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

"What are you writing now?"

"I'm actually just writing down some ideas for when I get back home. Unicorn, Mwanga Nyeupe meaning white light from Swahili, Sawfia meaning mystical Arabic, Leviathan, Dragon, what else," I thought out loud. "I'm just writing out ideas about this next story."

"What is it about," she asked. Before I could answer, there was a knock on the door. It was Lu.

"Master Lu, what is it," I asked.

"Come, Master Tai-gee and Master Nelon have returned with two people," Lu said.

"Who," Krystal asked. But I already know who. I rushed to the Hall of Heroes, where Tigress was standing there with her eyes wide out and her hand over her mouth. Facing her were two tigers a male and female, both in high-quality robes. The female was a bit shorter than Tigress, about an inch or two. The other one was about an inch taller than Tigress. Both were old.

"My little Lily," the woman cried. She ran up to Tigress and hugged her tightly. I could see Tigress's tears well-up. The male also went up to her and hugged her. Tigress then hugged them back tightly. Po came in beside me.

"What's happening," Po asked.

"This is Tigress's true parents," I explained. Po's jaw dropped.

"How did you find them," Tigress asked through the tears. Tai-gee shrugged.

"Lion sent me on the mission. He wanted it to be a surprise for you," Tai-gee explained. Tigress looked at me.

"You're welcome," I smiled. "But just make sure Tigra is away from me because I don't want to be torn to pieces." She ignored the commented and continued hugging her family. Po was about to run up to them but I stopped him. "Give them time to catch up," I whispered to him. "You have some training to do."

"Aw," He whined. So we went to the Training Hall, where I had him running on the tumblers, trying to keep his balance.

"Come on, don't tell me that the Dragon Warrior's ran out of breath," I teased. "Use that cosmic energy you guys talk about."

"I'm (pant) trying," He said out of breath. I sensed someone behind me but ignored it for the most part. It seemed like a big feline figure, so I guessed it was Tai-gee or Nelon. "I can't keep up."

"Slow down a bit," Said the figure behind me, "Then continue running at the pace you were." That didn't sound like Tai-gee or Nelon. I turned around to see Qiang, Tigress's father behind me. I bowed out of respect. So Po did what Qiang asked of him, and he was able to run longer. It's a complex science reason as to why it worked. Once Po was off the tumblers, rather fell off the tumblers, he wobbled to the walkway where Qiang and I were standing. "Not bad for a panda. You're actually more in shape than most pandas I've seen," Qiang observed.

"Thanks," Po wheezed. "I work out."

"Now," I muttered. "I thought you would be with your daughter."

"I was, but I also wanted to meet the Dragon Warrior. It is an honor to meet you. I didn't expect anyone to be such a legendary master like yourself," Qiang said. I was afraid Po would be prideful, but he wasn't.

"I'm just the guy that fell in front of Oogway when he pointed," Po humbly said.

"Well, it proved to be a great choice," Qiang said. Po smiled. "I actually know what it's like to be you in a sense."

"Really," I asked. Po glared at me. "I mean tell us."

"I... actually use to be the weakest person in the litter of tigers when I was born. My brothers and sisters usually picked on me. I was introverted, didn't talk much, and was usually at the mercy of who ever picked on me." Po was confused.

"That can't be true. Tigress has a massive amount of strength. I always thought she got that from you," Po replied.

"She did," Qiang answered. "I use to work in the blacksmith industry at a very young age. For a lot of the jobs, I thought I was too weak. But my manager was surprised at how much I could carry. One day, when I was being picked on again, one of the bullies challenged me to hit him. So I did, harder than I expected. It turns out that I had a lot of strength, but because I was shorter than everyone else, I didn't think I had it in me. I just didn't know my own strength." Qiang placed his hand on Po's shoulder. "Just like me, you don't know what you're capable of. Everyone is given unimaginable talents and gifts, you just have to find it and use it to the best of your ability." With that, he left us. I turned to see Po's excited 'about to pee' face.

"The original Midnight Stranger touched my shoulder. I will never bathe again," Po said in a bouncy mood.

"You bathe?"

"Hey!" I laughed. "Come on, I want to try again."

"Really," I asked, "You just came off of that thing huffing and puffing."

"Yeah, I'm sure." So we continued training for the rest of the day. Po's progress was actually increasing faster than normal. What Qiang said really got to him. Qiang and Po had started to grow a very interesting friendship.

 **to be continued.**


	32. Oops!

Oops!

* * *

Po was starting to learn more from Qiang than me. Tigress talked about how Qiang was very silent and emotionally sound and quiet. Her mother, with whom she spent most of her time with than her father, was exactly as Leo and I painted her. Though sweet most times, her silent vicious nature would always come out when Monkey or Mantis made a joke about something. And it made the monkey scared for his life. Tigress was a little curious about Qiang. "Why is he training Po so much? And he's doing it very well," Tigress commented.

"I don't know, really," I said, pouring her tea. "But I think it's best. Po's been really excited about your father's teachings. I guess he can really relate with Po better than most." I smirked at her. "What's your excuse?" Tigress glared and snarled at me.

"Po and I can relate very well."

"Oh really? What's his favorite place to go?"

"Kung Fu festival."

"What does he want to be able to do before he dies?"

"To stuff 50 bean buns in his mouth."

"Why does he sleep on his belly?"

"Because he thinks it will make him lose weight."

"What's his favorite color," I smirked. Tigress grimaced.

"No one pays enough attention to figure that out. You know that" Tigress growled out. I smiled.

"Okay, what story that I've told is the best to Po?"

"The story of Tai-gee."

"Why?"

"Because it means that Po didn't kill Peng's uncle."

"What's his favorite action figure?"

"Me," She said with a little prideful smirk. Once she looked at my smug smile, her smirk disappeared into an irritated side look.

"Was that pride I heard," I smiled.

"Okay, so I... kinda like the fact that I'm his favorite. That doesn't say anything."

"Well, I take back that notion that you don't know Po. I guess you know him better than I thought," I smiled. Tigress still looked at me with a distrustful look. "Why don't you trust me?"

"I've learned to trust you only with a yardstick," Tigress muttered. Just then, Qiang and Po came in.

"That was... hard in the least," Po sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Qiang said.

"I would like to thank you for taking over Po's training for me, Master Qiang," I said.

"No need. I always wanted to teach the Dragon Warrior as well as my own daughter," Qiang responded.

"Well, your daughter is a different story. I have to teach her personally. And her first lesson she's late for," I instructed her. Tigress groaned and went down the mountain towards Mr. Ping's shop. I observed Po a little closer. He had lost some weight though not noticeable to the passing eye. His face was less round. The subtle muscle development in his arms was encouraging. He was really changing. However, it was really unusual to me that Qiang practically took him as his second son. That reminded me. "Don't you have a son?"

"Yes, but he had to stay in the kingdom. Political issues," Qiang sighed. "You don't know how troublesome some tigers are. Especially our females."

"Tell me about it," Po and I chuckled. Unfortunately, I didn't notice Tigra in the doorway.

"What's that suppose to mean," She asked. We all halted in fear.

"Bye!" I disappeared and went to my house. "Whew that was close." I went into my room to a tower of random items ascending to the roof beam where I hid the journal. On top of them was Krystal trying to get the book. "Krystal!"

"Whoa!" She lost her footing and fell into my arms. "Don't scare me like that," She exclaimed hitting me in the chest.

"Why are you trying to get my journal," I asked. She couldn't look me in the eyes.

"Toooooo... do something," Krystal lied. My face fell.

"Krystal."

"I was trying to look at the surprise that you had for me. I just really want to know," Krystal said frustrated and excited at the same time. I laughed as I set her down on the bed. I got the book from the roof. "

"Here."

"Really? You mean it!"

"Yeah," I said as she practically snatched the book from me. "Well, I'm going to go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be in earshot when you scream," I simply said. There was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I got punched in the gut by a bruised panda. "AH OW! What the heck, Po?!"

"That's for abandoning us when Tigra came in," He said upset. "She is very scary. And she hits very hard. AH! My arm!" I snickered. Po punched me again.

"Ow! I'm sorry. It's funny."

"Oh yeah, why don't you go and call her old," Po remarked. Then Krystal emitted a high-pitched scream. Po looked at me with a weirded out face.

"It's alright. She just... unwrapped her present," I explained. "Now, if there isn't anything else-"

"Actually, there is," Po said as he came into the house and went to the kitchen. "I was thinking of getting a gift for Tigress. I wanted to know if you had any suggestions."

"EEEEEEEE! OH, MY GOSH!" Krystal screamed from the other room.

"Ignore her. She's in nirvana right now reading my journal," I smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, I just want to give her something special," Po said.

"It depends on what you know about Tigress. You would want to get something that reflects who she is and shows how much you care about her."

"Well, she doesn't like expensive stuff. That's why getting her something is hard," Po explained. Krystal rushed in with a mischievous smile.

"I can help you," Krystal smiled, grabbing Po's hand and rushed out the door with him. I just sat there confused and bewildered. I thought about the gift that Krystal could possibly choose for Po. I was suddenly interrupted by another knock at the door. I opened the door to see Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane.

"Another legend, I'm guessing," I asked. They all nodded. I welcomed them into the kitchen. "I'm honestly running out of legends."

"There must be one that you remember," Mantis said.

"There is one. There is a myth rather than a legend of a vast empire where all criminals and heroes live in peace and harmony. Four brothers whose father and mother were killed by their own protector, not only overthrew their protector's power and authority but assembled a small kingdom. Their sole rule: all shall help and protect the innocent, poor, helpless, and fellow persons. Anyone who didn't follow these things would be put to death. This was more of a threat than a punishment used. There was of course mercy, but some people refuse to give up that which hurts others and themselves. So this is the judgment. Light and mercy are available and gifted, but people want to keep doing the bad things they do. Those who do those things hate the light and mercy given to them and will not go to it because they don't want their deeds to be shown."

"Whoa," Viper commented. I could see Krystal and Po coming back behind them. They rushed into Krystal's room with a large bag. No one but I saw it.

"Anyways," I continued dismissing it. "At the center of the empire is the four brothers who are coequals. Their main job was to end corrupt leaders or warriors that oppress and bullied their subjects rather than protect their subjects. Any village or kingdom with these kinds of warriors was immediately taken by force and the warrior sent into servantry. Criminals were rehabilitated and also sent into society to help it. This legend of the Empire can only not exist if warriors don't become corrupted." Everyone applauded. "Thank you for everything, now go away please," I said unceremoniously shoved them out. I locked the door and went to Krystal's room.

"Get out!" she screamed. I shut the door back. "It's not ready yet."

"Could I just know why you're in such a rush."

"Sense," Po said. I sensed around. I could sense Tigress and Qiang coming to the house.

"Oh so they saw you, wondered why you were evading them, and now they're coming."

"Yeah, so shut it so we can concentrate," Krystal shouted. I rolled my eyes and went to the journal, which was still on the floor from Krystal's happy episode. I started writing in the journal until I heard the door knock. I opened the door.

"Well, what brings you two here," I asked.

"Well, actually we were wondering if Krystal and Po were here. We saw they-" Before Tigress could finish, there was a great commotion behind me. "I guess they're here."

"And why would you want to take an interest in it," I asked.

"Cats have a natural curiosity," Qiang stated. Just then, Krystal pushed Po outside of her room with a gift in his hands. Po was sweating bullets. I could hear him gulp.

"Master Qiang, why don't we leave these two to talk," I said, getting him to come with me. We actually went to around the house to the window of my room, open it up, and listened from the door.

"Po is everything okay," Tigress asked.

"I... um... wanted to give you something for being a great friend and to try and make up for what ahem happened in the Training Hall," Po said giving the gift to Tigress. She opened it to see a beautiful portrait of Tigress made out of clay. I teleported into Krystal's room, who was eavesdropping as well.

"There is no way you were able to make that in the short amount of time," I said to her.

"Po had been practicing with clay and he always made a portrait of Tigress," Krystal explained. "Now shut it, I'm listening." I rolled my eyes and teleported back to my room.

"Po, this is... amazing. Thank you," Tigress said. I was watching through a peek hole. She set the portrait down on the table in the kitchen. Tigress smiled mischievously. "I also have a present for you."

"Really, what is it," Po said looking excitedly around Tigress. Tigress kissed Po on the lips.

"Three times in a row, not bad," I whispered to myself. I forgot that Qiang was near me.

"I knew she was into the panda," he said.

"You knew this," I asked.

"I'm old, not blind," he remarked. I could also hear Krystal's quiet squeal. Tigress and Po parted.

"Is everything okay Po," Tigress asked.

"I'm fine," Po said stiffly, "But I think I know what Krystal was screaming about."

"Well, thank you for the gift," Tigress said with a smile. She took the portrait and went away. It was a little while before Po bellowed.

"LION!" I came out of the hiding place. "You spied on Tigress and me."

"How did you know," I asked.

"Krystal only screamed like that when she was reading your journal which obviously had the time Tigress and I kissed in the Training Hall," Po explained. I was genuinely surprised that he was able to figure that out.

"Who ever said you were dumb really didn't know you," I said. Krystal came out of her room with a happy bouncy attitude. Po glared at me.

"Stop spying on me," Po declared.

"Can't promise that," I smirked, disappearing before he could grab me. I teleported to the kitchen, where I saw Tigress ran past the doorway and run into her room. I was curious. I knocked on her door.

"Tigress, are you ok aaa y-" She pulled me into her room and shut the door.

"I kissed Po," She whispered.

"You did," I said, pretending to be surprised. "Why are you so shaken up about it?"

"Because I... I think I like Po," She said more of surprised that she said it. "What do I do? I didn't mean to kiss him. It just... happened. What do I do?"

"Kiss him again," I playfully shrugged.

"Lion," Tigress remarked.

"Just be nice and kind and be yourself," I smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure he likes you too."

"You think so," Tigress asked.

"I know so," I smiled. Po and Qiang were gone when I got back home. I was writing all of these things in the journal with Krystal watching. She smiled, but she then looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"In a while," She said sadly, "You'll be going home. It won't take long for these two to be going together." I stood up and lifted her chin.

"WE are going home. Together. I'm making sure that Demi takes you with me. One way or another," I assured her. She smiled and kissed me on the lips. My initial shock about this wore off quickly. Once we parted, Krystal led me by the hand to the master bedroom.

"Why don't we sleep here tonight. I think we've gotten close enough to each other to sleep together," She smiled. I smiled back as I kissed her on the forehead to hear her cute giggle.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you, too," She replied.

Love, true love, never fails.

 **to be continued.**


	33. My Work Is Done

My Work Is Done

* * *

Two years and a month. That's how long I had been here. The cold weather started to set in this year. Luckily for me, Krystal and I were spending a lot of time together to fend off the cold. Qiang and Tigra had taken Tigress and Po to meet her brother. They came back closer together than most people would be in the cold weather. Pretty soon, I told Master Shifu the things that were going on between them. He received the news as a shock, but a comforting message. Mr. Ping's employment of Tigress had done her good physically and personally. Her character was much different and kinder than when I first met her. Po was physically changing and underneath Tigress's dad's training became better and better every day. Why Qiang wanted to train Po was beyond me, but Tigress didn't seem to mind about it. Then there was Song's baby.

A healthy boy, 7.8 pounds, born with a gray shining fur, no spots, just like his father. His small snout and pointed ears were the only combinations of his parents. The rest of him looked just like his father, except the eyes. His eyes are just like his mother's. The name? Fang. Po was annoyed to no end, but the baby, now a month old, took to the care of Tigress and Po as if he were their child. His name was appropriate, though. His teeth were incredibly sharp. I know this because, like Miracle, he has the same teething toy, my tail! Only till Miracle turn five did she stop biting my tail, but she still tries.

But today was an interesting day. Po had worked up the courage to ask Tigress on a date. "Oh! Where are you taking her?" I asked, smirking. Po blushed.

"I was actually going to go to Ru's place, but he's a little sick. We finally decided my dad's shop," Po groaned.

"Worried that your dad will embarrass you," I asked.

"No, thankfully he's out of town. But Zan is serving us," Po grumbled. I laughed. That would be interesting.

"Well, I hope you have a lovely night," I smiled.

"You're not going to spy on us," Po asked.

"Probably not. I promised myself that I would get caught up on some writing I was doing." I said stretching my arms. "You'll probably be on your own." The cold air flew in from the opened door. "Brrr! Who is it?"

"Just me," Viper slithered in. "Po, we have to get you a suit. I will not have you wearing that old wedding suit."

"Yeah, most people in my world hate that suit. Makes you look like a dork," I said bluntly.

"Thanks for the honest opinion," Po muttered as he went out with Viper. I walked to my house. I was still thin but I feared that I was becoming too lazy. The snow started to fall around the place like a silent rain. I reached my house to see Krystal huddling by the fireplace, which wasn't lit. She tried to start the fire but I took care of that for her. I blasted the logs with fire. Krystal huffed.

"I could have done it myself," she said, trying to seem independent.

"I know, but I wanted to help," I smiled as I sat next to her, wrapped in the same blanket she had around her. We sat there quietly for a while.

"Aren't you suppose to be with Po and his training? It's getting late," Krystal said.

"Yeah, well, Po and Tigress are on a date," I said. She snapped herself away from me and looked at me with bewilderment.

"And you're not there why?"

"Well, aren't you tired of me talking about them all the time," I asked.

"Heck no," She exclaimed.

"Well, I thought you wanted to hang out more," I said.

"Aw, honey. I do," I said sweetly, at first, "But I want to know the love drama between those two. So MOVE!" She then proceeded to push me out with her foot from the blanket.

"Yes, ma'am?" I said unsurely. I teleported to the roof of the shop. I made myself invisible as to not attract any attention. I went to a corner of the shop no one would bump into me. Tigress was in her red dress that Viper had made at the tailor. I could tell Po was immensely stunned by it. Po, on the other hand, was wearing black pants and a large green robe. Where they got the robe to be that big I have no idea, but it did work for him. Zan and Ai were working the kitchen, but I listened over to Tigress and Po's conversation. Po was looking around, underneath the table, over the roof, at the door.

"Po, are you expecting someone," Tigress asked.

"No, no, I'm just... trying to make sure there aren't any more people than I can see," he said. Tigress shook her head.

"Even if Lion wasn't here, he would still get the information from Ai and Zan," Tigress reasoned. Po sighed.

" I just can't do anything without someone watching me."

"It's meant to make sure that you don't get into trouble," Tigress smirked. Po nervously laughed.

"So... um why did you kiss me when you got the gift," Po asked.

"Oh Po, that was long ago. I," She paused a moment when Ai and Zan brought the food. "I barely remember what it was about."

"I gave you a portrait and you kissed me. How is that difficult to remember," Po asked. Tigress was silent for a moment.

"I... just felt like it," Tigress said quietly. "I just... I really appreciate the things you do for me, Po. I guess I wanted to show my gratitude."

"Oh," Po smiled.

"Okay, so why did you kiss me when you were sleeping?"

"You can't charge me for that. I was sleeping!"

"What were you dreaming about," Tigress asked. Po thought for a while as he ate part of his food.

"I was... dreaming about," He struggled to say it. "I was dreaming about saying to you... I love you." Tigress silently gasped. Po blushed.

"Do you really," Tigress asked.

"Yes. I do. I mean, I don't love you because you meet the qualifications for the girl I can marry. I've always thought you were pretty and independent. You've always been my best friend and favorite of the Furious Five," Po explained. Tigress blushed a bit. I rolled my eyes. This was starting to get too mushy.

"Why didn't you say anything," Tigress asked.

"I didn't think you would like me for my look and shape. I really didn't think you would like me after hearing Nung-Ha and that I was a crook. And I thought you would never trust or like me after learning about the Incident," Po said with his head hung in shame.

"Po," Tigress said with a kind smile, "You've always been there for me. My support. You've been my best friend even when I didn't treat you like it. You've been the first person I could trust after the Incident."

"What about-"

"Shifu and Crane? I look to Shifu as a father and I was always in a shroud of shame when I thought what he would do to me if he knew about it. With Crane, yes we were similar but we were ultimately just friends. But you've become a person who could not only break down my walls but you've proven that I can trust you. You've changed me."

"No, Lion's done that," Po smiled. Tigress rested her hand on Po's.

"No, you have. Even if Lion had made me go to work at the shop, I wouldn't have changed hadn't you been there." Well, I felt a little offended. "That's why... I love you, too," Tigress finished. And then Po stood up, helped Tigress up as well, and they kissed with his arms wrapped around her waist and her arms firmly wrapped around his neck. I smiled. My work here was done. I teleported back to the house and wrote in the journal. I told Krystal who sighed with a breath of romance. Then she slapped my arm.

"Why can't you be more romantic like that," She complained. I shook my head with a smile.

"Come here you," I said, grabbing her and tickling her senseless. She laughed through the whole thing. Many wonder what keeps a marriage going. There are lots of things, but I think the most is affection and communication.

Now, I could end the story here, but that's not how it ended. About a week after their date, Tigress found out about my true mission. She wanted me to finish the journal and translate it so that she could read it. It would be a memoir of their love and ours. I promised to write the journal to the fullest. I had only gotten to about a quarter of the journal when HE arrived. We were coincidentally all in the Hall of Heroes when the door flew open to reveal him. There in a white shirt, black sweatpants, huge sword strapped to his back, slick back black hair, bushy eyebrows, and mischievous almost evil smile was Demi. Obviously, the people, at first, didn't know who or what he was. But I knew. I walked up to him calmly.

"You know, I should kill you," I said to him, "for the mess you've put me through. I should kill you for how you married me, how you stuck me with this task, for the pain you've brought to these people, and to Tigress and Po." I calmed down. "But ultimately, I can only thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be with the people I admire most, with the woman of my dreams, and I wouldn't have this much happiness. So thank you, my friend," Demi just laughed as I hugged him like a brother. The people behind me were confused. "Everyone, this is Demi." The air was sucked in. Tigress, Po, Krystal, and others mobilized to try and attack him. "Wait! He's a friend. Yeah, he was a jerk, probably still is, but if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here with you guys." Krystal walked up to him and stared him right in the eye.

"If you ever put anyone through this mess again, I will-" The rest was mumbled as she whispered it to him.

"Okay, Okay! I won't do it again," Demi said afraid and scared. Up to this day, I do not know what she said to him. At first, everyone was suspicious of him but they slowly warmed up to him, everyone except Tigress, but that was understandable.

"So, knowing that you usually come only when you need to, what is it that you need to tell me," I asked. Demi wiped his lips with his napkin.

"You have one more year before you go back home," Demi said. "You've done your job of training Po and Tigress. I will give you one more year before you go home. And yes, Krystal, you can go with him." Krystal hugged me tightly as the room cheered. "And don't worry. I won't turn you into anything hideous. I have the perfect idea for your look in mind," He smiled.

"You know, that's the first time I've trusted your smile," I said. Demi laughed. While the others talked to Demi, I went outside on the steps of the palace.

"Hey," Demi said behind me. He sat beside me.

"Why did you come here?"

"Um... well Tigress is scary enough and your wife freaks the heck out of me," Demi shuddered. I smiled.

"Why?"

"Did I pick you," Demi guessed. I nodded. "Well, you actually picked yourself." I was confused. "You wanted to create the world where Tigress and Po were together, and you did. Plus, yours is the most believable." I looked at him with a weird look. "Well some of them. Okay, a few."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"No, I think it's others who owe you a thank you. You've done a lot to get those two together." He took something out of his pocket and gave it to me. It was a small shiny rock. Once I took it, it absorbed into my hand. "After the year, you will be able to go to and from your world to this one." I smiled.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Well, I have to go. I don't feel comfortable with both Tigress and Krystal spying on me," Demi said standing up and rustling my mane. "See you later Lion." With that, he disappeared. Then Krystal and Tigress came out of their hiding spots and sat next to me.

"Well, that was an unwelcomed visit," Tigress muttered.

"Hey, if it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have been with Po. And Krystal wouldn't have been with me," I replied. Tigress rolled her eyes.

"Still don't like him," she said. I shook my head.

"What now," asked Krystal.

"Now, I have to finish the book. There's more to tell the world about this place," I said.

 **to be continued.**


	34. What's Left

What's Left

* * *

"A few changes here and there, but I think ultimately it's good," Krystal smiled. I rolled my eyes. She put the book away. "Well, time for us to get ready." Krystal and I had returned to my world. Like I thought, she was immediately accepted into my family. We've been here for about four years. Demi made it so that Krystal and I could have a job after college. I was still the same age as when I left. College was interesting with Krystal. In the least, it was really great. With the college done with, we got remarried. Now relaxing a bit, I finished up the book. I also tried to translate it into Po's natural language.

Oh, Krystal! Well, she looked like a young cute beautiful Asian girl. She was excited about it. Now, we wanted to go back. While I didn't have my powers here, I did have the dimensional rock that Demi gave me. We got dressed and I opened a portal to Po's world. It was spring when we got there. "Achoo!"

"Allergies," Krystal guessed.

"Come on, let's get to the palace," I said. In here, I had my Lion Warrior powers. We teleported to the courtyard of the palace. There was a little kid about nine years old. She was a snow leopard.

"Hello," She said excitedly with a smile.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Lion and this is Krystal," I explained. She gasped.

"Uncle Lion! Aunty Krystal," She said excitedly hugging our knees. "It's me, Miracle!" I snatched my tail up from the ground.

"I remember you," I growled and narrowing my eyes at her. Krystal rolled her eyes.

"It's good to see you all grown up," Krystal hugged her.

"Oh! You have to see everyone," She said, letting us follow her to the Training Hall. She led us to the hall where Monkey, Viper, and Crane were training.

"Hello everyone," I waved. They all ran up to us, nearly strangling us.

"It's so good to see you all," Viper said, who was wrapped around my neck.

"Okay, give me some breathing space," I wheezed out. They let us go and I noticed something on Crane's wing. "Is that a ring on one of your feathers?"

"Yep, I asked Lu to be my wife. We just got married about two months ago," Crane said shyly yet relieved. Krystal hugged Crane.

"Oh! I'm so happy for you," She said delightfully. Just then, the two people I was expecting came in.

"Well well, if it isn't the Lion Warrior," Tigress smirked.

"Hey, hey, hey," Po said bowing at me, "It's good to see you again." I bowed as well. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I finally finished writing and translating the journal. Krystal's helping me with the name. And I can see you two are married," I said looking at the rings on their hands.

"And you didn't invite us to the wedding," Krystal offended.

"We didn't know how to contact you," Po said sheepishly. Just then, I felt a pain in my tail.

"YOW!" I looked at my tail. "And who is this?!"

"Sorry," Tai-gee said, coming into the room and plucking the small child off my tail. "Song and Qiang are out for a little vacation and asked me to watch Fang for them. Don't worry, he's bitten all of us."

"Yep," Viper, Tigress, Monkey, even Po replied. I looked at the little boy.

"You've grown," I muttered nursing my hurt tail. "Where's Master Shifu and Mantis?"

"They went to get the Kung Fu permit. Today is more of a relaxing day. So where is the book?" Tigress asked. I presented it to Tigress. She gently took it. "Now we can see when you spied on us and when you didn't," Tigress smirked. I rolled my eyes. Then I noticed Tigress's shadow was a little wider than usual. I looked down and saw that the shadow moved when she didn't. I saw an eye slowly peak out and then jump back behind her.

"Um do my eyes deceive me, or is your shadow moving by itself?" Tigress looked back and chuckled. She bent down to reveal a little white tiger, about three years of age.

"Lily, don't be scared. This is the Lion Warrior, Lion. The person I was telling you about," Tigress whispered to her. She didn't move. I knelt down and presented my tail to her. I knew she would go for it, which she did. I quickly grabbed her up and tickled her in my arms.

"You have the same 'tickle' spots as your father," I smiled. Everyone looked at me while Po looked around uneasily. "Don't ask how I know this. So this is little Lily. Hehe, you're much cuter in person than I wrote you out to be," I smiled. "And I know you'll be givingUncle Tai-gee a run for his money," I said as she tried to pull at my mane. I gave her to Krystal.

"Hi," She said in a higher voice. "I'm your Aunty Krystal. I'm a friend of your mother. Wow, you have eyes just like your father," She smiled giving her back to her father. Just then, another person came in. "Demi? What are you doing here," Krystal asked threateningly.

"Easy tiger, I'm welcomed here now," Demi said. Krystal eyed Tigress.

"He has to watch the children from time to time. It's his punishment for what he's done. Thank you, Lion," Tigress said.

"You're welcome." I smiled. Krystal elbowed me in the ribs. "Um."

"Go on tell them," Krystal said.

"Well, I wrote this story that I was wondering if Demi and Po would look over with me," I said nervously. Po was excited. So was the child in his arms.

"I would love to," Po replied.

"Well, let's hear it," Demi sighed.

"Well, the title is The Four Warriors. Basically-"

"Why don't we discuss it over lunch," Tigress suggested. I sighed as Krystal rested her hand on my shoulder.

"Sure," I said.

"Alright," Po exclaimed. Lily giggled. I smiled.

"I love you," Krystal whispered to me.

"I love you, too," I replied.

There are other stories that I wrote that weren't about Po and Tigress and there was still others I had to write. But that's another story.

 **THE END**


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